How need-supportive teaching practices can be promoted: a Self-Determination Approach

Sebastiano Cincinnato, Chang Zhu, Bram De Wever

Research output: Unpublished contribution to conferenceUnpublished paper

Abstract

This research study focuses on how supportive teaching practices in adult education can be predicted because supportive teaching practices are argued to improve learning. More in particular, we investigate the teacher- and institutional-level characteristics that affect teaching practices. To this end, we implement the conceptual framework of Self-Determination Theory. Thus, supportive teaching practices are interpreted as need-supportive teaching practices, i.e. autonomy-support, structure, and involvement. On the level of the teacher, we identify basic psychological needs (i.e., autonomy, competence and relatedness) and motivation (i.e., autonomous and controlled) as important components. Finally, on the level of the institution, we identify need support as an important component. We hypothesise that: (1) satisfaction of basic psychological needs is affected by need support, (2) motivation to teach is affected by satisfaction of the basic psychological needs, and (3) adoption of need-supportive teaching practices is affected by the motivation to teach. Participants in the study are teachers active in Flemish (Belgium) adult education (N = 510). The online questionnaire contained validated instruments to measure need support, need satisfaction, motivation, and teaching practices. Analysis consisted of Structural Equation Modelling. Findings indicate that need support by the educational institution increases the satisfaction of psychological needs, which in turn has a positive effect on the emergence of autonomous motivation. Furthermore, autonomously motivated teachers are more likely to adopt need-supportive teaching practices. The fact that the institutional-level characteristic ‘need support’ is important, points to the need to carry on with research analysing the association of institutional characteristics with educational outcomes. Educational research should acknowledge teachers as being part of a social system (i.c., the educational institution) and should consider institutional characteristics, such as need support, as vital components of the educational environment.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusUnpublished - 8 Jul 2016
EventThe 21th Conference of the JUnior REsearchers of EARLI 2016: Education in a dynamic world: Facing the future - University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Duration: 4 Jul 20168 Jul 2016

Conference

ConferenceThe 21th Conference of the JUnior REsearchers of EARLI 2016
Abbreviated titleJURE2016
Country/TerritoryFinland
CityHelsinki
Period4/07/168/07/16

Keywords

  • Basic need satisfaction
  • Need Support
  • Self-Determination Theory
  • Teacher motivation
  • Teaching practices

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