Students’ Inattention Symptoms and Psychological Need Satisfaction During the Secondary School Transition: The Protective Role of Teachers’ Involvement

Abstract

Objective: This study examined the prospective relationship from student inattention symptoms to changes in their psychological need satisfaction (PNS) during their transition to secondary school. In doing so, it has explored whether this temporal association was moderated by teachers’ involvement (TI). Method: A sample of 688 students (46% male; Mage = 11.82) followed in Grade 6 and Secondary 1 was selected from a stratified random list. Results: Inattention symptoms predicted a decrease in autonomy and competence need satisfaction, after adjusting for gender, anxiety, aggression, and PNS at baseline. In addition, TI in Secondary 1 attenuated the association between inattention and autonomy need satisfaction decline. TI also predicted a smaller decrease in competence need satisfaction, over and above the contribution of inattention. Conclusions: Results support the importance of TI in PNS of students who are struggling with inattention throughout a critical transition. Implications for educational practices and research are discussed.

ADHD and Psychological Need Fulfillment in College Students

“…Although they did not explicitly measure need satisfaction and frustration, Smith et al found that adolescents with ADHD reported significantly lower levels of intrinsic and extrinsic academic motivation, as well as higher amotivation, compared to peers. A prospective longitudinal study conducted by Duchesne et al (2021) investigated the role of IA symptoms on the need satisfaction of students during the transition from middle to high school, and results indicated that IA predicted a decline of autonomy and competence satisfaction while controlling for anxiety, gender, and aggression. Taken together, these studies provide preliminary support that children and adolescents with ADHD may have deficits in need fulfillment and cultivating optimal motivation.…”