Teacher autonomy support reduces adolescent anxiety and depression: An 18‐month longitudinal study

Abstract

Grounded in stageeenvironment fit theory, this study adopts a longitudinal design to examine the contribution of autonomy support from teachers to reducing adolescent anxiety and depression. A total of 236 Chinese adolescents (57.38% females, M age ¼ 14.34) completed questionnaires on teacher autonomy support, basic psychological needs satisfaction, school engagement, anxiety, and depression in the fall and spring semesters of their 7th and 8th grade years. The results showed that teacher autonomy support in the fall of 7th grade boosted basic psychological needs satisfaction in the spring of 7th grade; this, in turn, increased school engagement in the fall of 8th grade, which subsequently decreased anxiety and depression in the spring of 8th grade. These findings demonstrated the significant effect of teacher autonomy support on reducing adolescent anxiety and depression; furthermore, it highlighted the mediating roles of basic psychological needs satisfaction and school engagement in this relationship.

Teacher’s Autonomy Support and Engagement in Math: Multiple Mediating Roles of Self-efficacy, Intrinsic Value, and Boredom

“…These findings concurred with the SDT (Ryan and Deci, 2000; Deci and Ryan, 2008) and previous studies on the relations of autonomy support and academic engagement (Reeve et al, 2004; Skinner et al, 2008; Chen et al, 2015; Hospel and Galand, 2016; Jang et al, 2016; Yu et al, 2016). Self-efficacy and intrinsic value enhanced the behavioral and cognitive types of academic engagement, which further supported previous conclusions highlighting the positive role of these two individual factors in engagement (Linnenbrink and Pintrich, 2003; Patrick et al, 2007; Sakiz et al, 2012; Martin and Rimm-Kaufman, 2015; González et al, 2016; Zhen et al, 2016).…”

“…Previous studies have found positive associations between teacher’s autonomy support and student engagement (Reeve et al, 2004; Skinner et al, 2008; Chen et al, 2015; Hospel and Galand, 2016; Jang et al, 2016; Yu et al, 2016), while in this study the intense and positive relations between autonomy support and engagement were mostly mediated by individual factors including self-efficacy, intrinsic value, and boredom. The results indicated that teacher’s autonomy-supportive behaviors both directly and indirectly enhanced students’ behavioral involvement and cognitive effort in math through influencing individual factors.…”

“…Recently, many researchers have focused on teacher’s autonomy support and have highlighted its positive effects on student engagement (e. g., Reeve et al, 2004; Skinner et al, 2008; Chen et al, 2015; Hospel and Galand, 2016; Jang et al, 2016; Yu et al, 2016). Teachers provide autonomy support to their students by providing them with choices, fostering their understanding and interest about the learning subjects, and encouraging them to think independently and critically (Assor et al, 2002).…”

Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction Mediates the Association between Self-Control Skills and Subjective Well-Being

“…In a study with Chinese adolescents, perceived satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs was significantly associated with self-rated autonomy, sense of school connectedness, and sense of scholastic competence (Tian et al, 2014b). In a longitudinal study in China, basic needs satisfaction reduced adolescent students’ anxiety and depression (Yu et al, 2016). A different longitudinal study in China showed that needs satisfaction significantly contributed to the prediction of the cognitive and emotional components of students’ SWB in school (Tian et al, 2014b).…”

Perceived Autonomy Support in Primary Education in the Netherlands: Differences between Teachers and Their Students

“…According to research testing the Self Determination Theory in various settings, satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs predicts educational and well-being outcomes by affecting students' motivation (Early et al, 2016;Guay & Vallerand, 1996;Ryan & Deci, 2001;Tian, Chen, & Huebner, 2014;Yu, Li, Wang, & Zhang, 2016). Many studies (e.g., Hagger, Chatzisarantis, Culverhouse, & Biddle, 2003;Hardre & Reeve, 2003;Reeve, Jang, Carrell, Jeon, & Barch, 2004;Su & Reeve, 2011) have shown that teachers' autonomy support is related to students' autonomous regulation, perceived competence, and achievement.…”