Students’ Perceptions of Teachers’ Corrective Feedback, Basic Psychological Needs and Subjective Vitality: A Multilevel Approach

Abstract

The way students perceive corrective feedback has repercussions on what they learn and think. Based on the self-determination theory, the aim of this study is to test a model of multilevel mediation that examines the relationships between the perception of corrective feedback with its degree of acceptance (perceived legitimacy) at the team level and the subjective vitality of students at the individual level, mediated by the satisfaction of the three psychological needs, in the context of physical education. The participants were 742 students aged between 10 and 13 years old (52.6% men, 47.4% women) in 29 physical education groups. The results of the multilevel structural equation modeling analysis found at the group (between) level a positive and significant relationship between corrective feedback and perceived legitimacy ( B between = 0.49, p < 0.01), as well as a positive and significant relationship between perceived legitimacy and the needs of competence ( B between = 0.66, p < 0.05) and relatedness ( B between = 0.95, p < 0.01). In addition, there was a positive and significant association between competence and subjective vitality ( B between = 2.06, p < 0.01), and a negative and significant association between relatedness and subjective vitality ( B between = −0.85, p < 0.01). Also, on an individual (within) level, the needs of autonomy ( B within = 0.09, p < 0.05), competence ( B within = 0.27, p < 0.01), and relatedness ( B within = 0.17, p < 0.01) were positively and significantly associated with subjective vitality. Finally, corrective feedback showed a positive indirect effect on subjective vitality through perceived legitimacy and competence, while the indirect effect was negative through perceived legitimacy and relatedness. In conclusion, on an individual level, students who perceive their basic psychological needs to be met in turn, increase their subjective vitality. At the group level, the results are discussed. These findings suggest that teachers might be best advised to ensure that their students accept corrective feedback, by having it couched in a manner that suggests that learning and improvement can follow, and communicated in an autonomy-supporting way.

Coaches’ Corrective Feedback, Psychological Needs, and Subjective Vitality in Mexican Soccer Players

“…Results confirm the first expected association between amount of CF and the perceived legitimacy of CF and their effects on the satisfaction of BPNs of soccer players and are in agreement with previous studies ( Tristán et al, 2017 ; Vergara-Torres et al, 2020 ). Coaches need to know how to provide CF with reasonable, meaningful, credible, and specific justification.…”

“…Moreover, coaches must contribute to make athletes feel autonomous (consider the players’ perspective and provide them with various solutions), competent (to have clear and achievable objectives known by athletes), and related (all athletes must be taken into consideration and ought to receive CF). Therefore, in sport, it is also important for coaches to ensure that their players have a high degree of acceptance of the CF they have provided and that their BPNs are met ( Vergara-Torres et al, 2020 ).…”

“…There is a body of knowledge that providing evidence of a positive relationship between CF supporting autonomy and the satisfaction of BPNs. Among these are the SDT ( Deci and Ryan, 1985 , 1991 ), BPNT principles ( Deci and Ryan, 2002 ; Ryan and Deci, 2017 ), and research in the fields of physical education ( Vergara-Torres et al, 2020 ) and sports ( Mouratidis et al, 2010 ; Carpentier and Mageau, 2013 , 2016 ; Tristán et al, 2017 , 2018 ). Furthermore, previous research has shown a positive relationship of autonomy-supporting CF with autonomous motivation ( Mouratidis et al, 2010 ; Carpentier and Mageau, 2016 ) and external regulation.…”

“…Additionally, Mouratidis et al (2010) reported that these relationships were partially mediated by the perceived legitimacy of CF (the degree of acceptance to CF). In the context of the physical education, when students perceive CF as legitimate, they perceive it as a satisfaction of their BPNs and report high levels of subjective vitality ( Vergara-Torres et al, 2020 ).…”

“…The contexts of sport and physical education share common features, but are also distinct and each has unique attributes ( Tristán et al, 2016 ). However, understanding the phenomena in physical education may provide an insight into sport, thus making it relevant ( Vergara-Torres et al, 2020 ). Regardless of the fact that the hypothesized model has been tested in the context of physical education ( Vergara-Torres et al, 2020 ), there is a gap in the literature about the effects that CF might have on satisfaction of BPNs and on the perceptions of vitality within the sport.…”