How Much Pressure Do Students Need to Achieve Good Grades?—The Relevance of Autonomy Support and School-Related Pressure for Vitality, Contentment with, and Performance in School

Abstract

This study investigates, based on Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory, how autonomy support and school-related pressure are associated with students’ vitality, their contentment with and academic performance in school, and whether feeling related to teachers and feeling competent mediate these relations. In total, 812 secondary school students participated in this questionnaire-based survey. Perceived autonomy support was positively related while school-related pressure was negatively related with vitality and contentment. Relations were partially mediated by relatedness to teachers and perceived competence. In sum, this study provides insight into how autonomy support contributes not only to better academic achievement but also to students feeling vital in school and experiencing contentment with school environments. Moreover, the results emphasize that pressure is not only irrelevant for academic performance, but rather, detrimental for students’ perceptions in school. The practical implications imply that teachers should be trained to avoid unnecessary coercion and to strengthen their abilities in supporting their students’ autonomy. This contributes to make school a productive and enjoyable environment for learners and teachers alike.

The impact of science teaching strategies in the Arabic-speaking countries: A multilevel analysis of TIMSS 2019 data

“…Engaging students generally improves comprehension compared to passive learning [ 16 ]. Moreover, it has been found that teachers who use very controlling strategies tend to be ineffective in improving student achievement and may even impair their performance [ 17 , 18 ].…”

The role of self-efficacy, motivation, and perceived support of students' basic psychological needs in academic achievement

“…Autonomy support that teachers give to students supports students' BPN, which in turn increases student autonomous motivation and is predictive of student achievement (Jang et al, 2012;Bureau et al, 2022). Students' perceived autonomy support is positively associated with perceived competence, relatedness to teachers, vitality in school, contentment with school, and with school performance, while school-related pressure is negatively related (Howard et al, 2021;Bureau et al, 2022;Martinek et al, 2022). Earl et al (2023) found that BPN satisfaction is unrelated to school grades at the beginning of the school year, but as the school year progresses, students with more satisfaction of BPN show increasing and higher levels of academic achievement compared to students with less satisfaction of BPN.…”

Learning and Motivation When Using Multiple-Try in a Digital Game for Primary Students in Chile

“…The self-determination theory (SDT) [29,30] corresponds to a psychological model that can help describe the motivation construct and the emotional processes during learning. It has been effectively used in other learning situations, such as the use of gamification techniques [44,45], educational games [31,32], collaborative computer activities [46], and students' conditions to achieve good grades [47].…”