Does autonomy support matter for intern well-being in Malaysia? A self-determination theory approach

PurposeResearch has shown that autonomy support is a powerful predictor of employee well-being in the West. Despite this importance in the West, the role of autonomy in relation to employee well-being remains relatively understudied in other contexts, such as Malaysia. This is presumably so due to the assumption that employees in a country of excessive hierarchy, like Malaysia, do not value autonomy. Drawing on self-determination theory (SDT), this paper aims to investigate the relationship between employee perceived autonomy support and well-being in the context of Malaysia.Design/methodology/approachThe authors propose that employee-perceived autonomy support is positively related to employee well-being (measured as work engagement and emotional exhaustion) mediated by basic psychological need satisfaction. The authors also hypothesize that the positive relationship is even stronger when employees are less autonomy-oriented. The authors tested this moderated mediation model using a survey of 125 interns in Malaysia.FindingsThe results provide strong evidence for the mediating role of need satisfaction when intern well-being is measured as work engagement, while the evidence is less conclusive when employee well-being is measured as emotional exhaustion. Moreover, the moderating effect of autonomy orientation is insignificant.Originality/valueThis paper enhances understanding of the cross-culture applicability of SDT and thereby provided a nuanced understanding of the boundary conditions of autonomy support.

How Can We Improve Teacher’s Work Engagement? Based on Chinese Experiences

Drawing on Self-Determination Theory, the current study analysed the relationship between teachers’ perceived autonomy support and work engagement while it also explored the mediating effect of basic psychological need satisfaction and intrinsic motivation. The study investigated 520 elementary teachers in Beijing, and we found the following: (1) teachers in different groups reported diverse senses of perceived autonomy support, in that teachers with less teaching experience as well as those with a master’s degree have a higher score regarding the perceptions of teacher autonomy; and (2) teacher autonomy can affect work engagement not only in terms of the satisfaction of basic psychological needs but also by the chain of satisfaction of basic psychological needs and intrinsic motivation. Teachers with more autonomy support will have higher basic psychological need satisfaction and stronger teaching motivation, which will further enhance their work engagement.

Trans-Contextual Model Predicting Change in Out-of-School Physical Activity: A One-Year Longitudinal Study

The aim of the current study was to test the long-term predictive validity of the trans-contextual model in accounting for variance in adolescents’ out-of-school physical activity measured by self-report and accelerometer based-devices over a one-year period. Secondary school students ( N = 265) aged 11 to 15 years completed a three-wave survey on two occasions in time, spanning a one-year interval, measuring perceived autonomy support in physical education (PE), peer and parent autonomy support in leisure-time, autonomous and controlled motivation in PE and leisure-time, attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, intention, and out-of-school physical activity both by self-report and accelerometer-based devices. A variance-based structural equation model using residualized change scores revealed that perceived autonomy support from PE teachers predicted autonomous motivation in PE, and autonomous motivation in PE predicted autonomous motivation in leisure-time. In addition, peer and parent autonomy support predicted autonomous motivation in leisure-time. Autonomous motivation in leisure-time indirectly predicted physical activity intention mediated by attitude and perceived behavioural control. Intention predicted self-reported physical activity participation, although the effect was in the opposite direction to our prediction, but not physical activity measured by accelerometer-based devices. Results support some tenets of the trans-contextual model over a one-year time period, particularly the determinants of physical activity intentions. The introduction of COVID-19 restrictions may explain the negative relationship between intention and self-reported physical activity. Further longitudinal studies are needed to verify the results of the current study.

Cardiovascular Patients' Adherence to the Exercise Component of a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program: Role of Patient’s Perceived Autonomy Support, Motivation, and Competence

Adherence to the exercise component of a Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) remains low. Up to 50% of patients do not complete CR program.

Perceived Autonomy Support from Peers, Parents, and Physical Education Teachers as Predictors of Physical Activity and Health-Related Quality of Life among Adolescents—A One-Year Longitudinal Study

The current research adopts the trans-contextual model of motivation (TCM) to examine the role of perceived autonomy support from peers, parents, and physical education (PE) teachers on adolescents’ autonomous motivation, intentions, and physical activity (PA) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) over a one-year period. Adolescents (N = 264) aged between 11 and 15 years (M = 13.24; SD = 0.96) filled in relevant questionnaires during a four-wave longitudinal study. Perceived autonomy support from peers, parents, and PE teachers predicted PA (β ≥ 0.03, p < 0.009) and HRQoL (β ≥ 0.01, p < 0.009) mediated by constructs of TCM over a one-year period. The regressions of PA (β = 0.45, p < 0.001) and HRQoL (β = 0.56, p < 0.001) on themselves over a one-year period were significant. PA significantly predicted the HRQoL measured one year later (β = 0.20, p < 0.001), but not vice versa (β = 0.04, p = 0.52). The unidirectional cross-lagged relationship with the flow from PA to later HRQoL suggests that intervention programs focusing on promoting PA behaviour in adolescents should produce the most pronounced effects if their aim is also to promote HRQoL.

University Teachers' Teaching Style and Their Students' Agentic Engagement in EFL Learning in China: A Self-Determination Theory and Achievement Goal Theory Integrated Perspective

As a relatively new dimension of student engagement, agentic engagement has received growing research interest in recent years, as it not only predicts academic achievement and other positive outcomes, but also benefits reciprocal teacher-student relations. In the educational context, teachers' teaching style exerts a crucial impact on students' engagement. However, research on how perceived teachers' teaching style influences students' agentic engagement is inconclusive. To address this lacuna, this study, taking an integrated perspective that draws on Self-determination Theory and Achievement Goal Theory, investigated the relationship of three types of teaching style (i.e., perceived autonomy support, social relatedness, and controlling) to university students' agentic engagement in EFL learning in China, especially through the mediation of mastery-approach goals and performance approach goals. Structural equation modeling showed that perceived autonomy support positively predicted agentic engagement through the mediation of mastery-approach goals, whereas perceived controlling negatively predicted agentic engagement through the mediation of performance-approach goals. Comparatively, the relationship of perceived social relatedness to agentic engagement was fully mediated by both mastery-approach and performance-approach goals. After discussing these results, practical implications as well as suggestions for future studies were given.

Επίδραση του στυλ διδασκαλίας στη διαμόρφωση ενός θετικού κλίματος κινήτρων εντός του μαθήματος της φυσικής αγωγής και στη δια βίου άσκηση

Σύμφωνα με το ισχύον ελληνικό αλλά κι ευρωπαϊκό αναλυτικό πρόγραμμα Φυσικής Αγωγής (Φ.Α.), ο κύριος στόχος του μαθήματος είναι η «δια βίου άσκηση». Ωστόσο, οι μαθητές/τριες φαίνεται ότι αποστασιοποιούνται από το μάθημα της Φ.Α. και δεν αγαπούν τη φυσική δραστηριότητα καθώς μεγαλώνουν. Σκοπός της παρούσας έρευνας ήταν να εξετάσει την επίδραση ενός παρεμβατικού προγράμματος στην υποστήριξη της αυτονομίας και της πρόθεσης για δια βίου άσκηση σε μαθητές/τριες ανάμεσα σε δύο διαφορετικά εκπαιδευτικά πλαίσια. Τους επιμέρους στόχους αποτέλεσαν α) η διερεύνηση της διατήρησης των αποτελεσμάτων του προγράμματος με την πάροδο έξι μηνών από τη λήξη του προγράμματος, β) η εξέταση του κλίματος κινήτρων ως μεσολαβητικός παράγοντας πρόβλεψης στη σχέση μεταξύ της αυτονομίας και της πρόθεσης για φυσική δραστηριότητα, και γ) η σύγκριση του Ελληνικού Συστήματος Φ.Α. με το αντίστοιχο σύστημα των Ευρωπαϊκών Σχολείων τύπου ΙΙ. Το δείγμα συγκροτήθηκε από 320 μαθητές/τριες της 5ης και 6ης Δημοτικού, οι οποίοι φοιτούσαν είτε σε τυπικά ελληνικά δημοτικά σχολεία είτε στο Ευρωπαϊκό. Οι συμμετέχοντες κατανεμήθηκαν σε δύο γενικές ομάδες, από τις οποίες η μια αφορούσε μαθητές/τριες που παρακολούθησαν το παρεμβατικό πρόγραμμα διάρκειας 18 διδακτικών ωρών και η άλλη αποτέλεσε την ομάδα ελέγχου. Επιπλέον, η ομάδα παρέμβασης επιμερίστηκε σε δύο υποομάδες εκ των οποίων η μία παρακολούθησε το πρόγραμμα με το στυλ του αυτοελέγχου και η άλλη με το στυλ ενσωμάτωσης. Προκειμένου να ελεγχθούν τα ερευνητικά ερωτήματα χρησιμοποιήθηκαν 4 εργαλεία μέτρησης τα οποία διανεμήθηκαν σε τρεις φάσεις: πριν, αμέσως μετά την παρέμβαση και με την πάροδο 6 μηνών. Ειδικότερα, οι συμμετέχοντες/ουσες συμπλήρωσαν: α) ένα ερωτηματολόγιο με δημογραφικά χαρακτηριστικά, β) το Perceived Autonomy Support in Physical Education (Hagger και συν., 2007), για έλεγχο της αντιλαμβανόμενης υποστήριξης της αυτονομίας στο μάθημα της Φ.Α., γ) το LAPOPECQ (Learning and Performance Orientations in P.E. Classes Questionnaire) (Papaioannou, 1994) για το αντιλαμβανόμενο κλίμα κινήτρων στο μάθημα της Φ.Α. και δ) ένα ερωτηματολόγιο που συστήθηκε με βάση τη Θεωρία Σχεδιασμένης Συμπεριφοράς (Ajzen, 1985) και που αφορούσε την πρόθεση για δια βίου άσκηση. Από τα αποτελέσματα φάνηκε ότι το πρόγραμμα παρέμβασης ενίσχυσε τόσο την αντιλαμβανόμενη υποστήριξη της αυτονομίας, όσο και την πρόθεση για άσκηση και στα δύο εκπαιδευτικά πλαίσια. Ωστόσο, καμία σημαντική διαφορά δεν βρέθηκε μεταξύ των δύο εκπαιδευτικών πλαισίων αναφορικά με την μεταβλητή της πρόθεσης για άσκηση. Επίσης, η ομάδα παρέμβασης με το στυλ του αυτοελέγχου διατήρησε την πρόθεση για άσκηση σε υψηλά επίπεδα για μεγαλύτερο χρονικό διάστημα σε σχέση με την ομάδα με το στυλ της ενσωμάτωσης. Ακόμη, φάνηκε να υπάρχει διαμεσολάβηση του προσανατολισμού κινήτρων μεταξύ αντιλαμβανόμενης υποστήριξης της αυτονομίας και πρόθεσης για άσκηση στα παιδιά. Ειδικότερα, οι αναλύσεις των δεδομένων έδειξαν ότι α) ο προσανατολισμός στο έργο επηρεάστηκε από την αντιλαμβανόμενη υποστήριξη της αυτονομίας κι επηρέασε με τη σειρά του την πρόθεση για άσκηση, και β) ο προσανατολισμός στο εγώ επηρεάστηκε από την αντιλαμβανόμενη υποστήριξη της αυτονομίας, χωρίς όμως να επηρεάσει την πρόθεση για άσκηση. Τα πορίσματα της παρούσας μελέτης δύναται να συμβάλλουν στην βελτίωση της καθημερινής εκπαιδευτικής πράξης στο μάθημα της Φ.Α.

Predicting school students’ physical activity intentions in leisure-time and school recess contexts: Testing an integrated model based on self-determination theory and theory of planned behavior

Background Identifying psychological correlates of children’s physical activity intentions may signpost potentially modifiable targets for interventions aimed at promoting physical activity participation. School recess and leisure-time outside of school are appropriate contexts in which such interventions may be delivered. However, few studies have identified correlates of physical activity intentions in these environments. Examining correlates in these contexts may provide formative evidence on which to base interventions to promote physical activity. Purpose The current study adopted an integrated theoretical model to test relations between motivational constructs from self-determination theory, social cognition constructs from the theory of planned behavior, and physical activity intentions in leisure-time and school recess contexts. Methods Finnish school children (N = 845, M age = 13.93, SD = 0.99) from three lower-secondary schools completed self-report measures of perceived autonomy support by peers, autonomous and controlled motivation, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and physical activity intentions for both contexts. Results Well-fitting structural equation models controlling for past behavior indicated that autonomous motivation in the school recess context and attitude in both contexts were the most pervasive predictors of physical activity intentions, and mediated the relationship between perceived autonomy support and intentions. Multi-group analyses supported invariance of the models in both contexts across gender, grades, and school, with few variations. Conclusions The current study supports relations between motivational and social cognition correlates of children’s physical activity intentions in school recess and leisure-time contexts. Future research should extend these findings to the prediction of follow-up participation in physical activity.