Applying Relatedness to Explain Learning Outcomes of STEM Maker Activities

A growing interest has been observed among K-12 school educators to incorporate maker pedagogy into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education to engage students in the design and making process. Both cognitive engagement and emotional engagement of students can be promoted through satisfying the psychological need of relatedness that concerns a sense of connection and belonging. How to support relatedness would influence the effective development of students’ cognitive competencies, namely creativity and critical thinking, and non-cognitive characteristics, namely interest and identity. Therefore, the present study investigated how two relatedness support strategies—real-world problems (RWP) and mentoring influence the development of student’s STEM-related cognitive competencies and non-cognitive characteristics in STEM marker activities. We implemented a 7-week intervention study with three classes of Grade 9 students (aged 13–15 years) in Hong Kong (n = 95). Three intervention conditions were designed in the experiment, comprising textbook problem (TBP), RWP, and RWP with mentoring (RWPM). Our analysis showed that (i) the differences in creativity among the three groups were non-significant, (ii) the RWP and RWPM groups showed stronger critical thinking than the TBP group, and (iii) the RWPM group exhibited stronger STEM interest and identity than the other two groups. This study revealed the effectiveness of adopting RWP strategy in developing secondary students’ perceived cognitive competencies (e.g., creativity and critical thinking) and the feasibility of employing a mentoring mechanism for cultivating learners’ perceived non-cognitive characteristics (e.g., STEM identity and interest). Hence, we also offered practical suggestions for teachers.

As Steady as a Rock! Gaining Insight in Recruitment and Retention Among Primary School Children With Behavioural Problems in Sport Mix Club

The number of children dealing with behavioural problems is increasing. A major challenge in many health-supportive programmes is the recruitment and retention of these children. In the current study, Sport Mix Club (SMC), an approach to enhance socioemotional disorders of 4- to 12-year-old children through sport classes in municipality Vaals, the Netherlands, is used as an illustration. Where many studies faced difficulties getting and keeping children in their interventions, SMC overcame this challenge. Therefore, we decided to explore “What factors contribute to enhanced recruitment and retention procedures among children with behavioural problems in Sport Mix Club?” A qualitative case study design using the analysis of the administrative logbook of the SMC coach and trainees, individual interviews with the SMC coach, trainees (n = 2), school teachers (n = 3) and parents of participating children (n = 9), and four focus group interviews with children (n = 13) were carried out. During the recruitment and retention of SMC, the human psychological need of relatedness seemed to be of crucial value. The fact that the SMC coach: (1) made efforts to become a familiar face for children, parents and community partners beforehand; (2) showed enthusiasm; and (3) placed her focus on having fun as opposed to the children's problems, seemed to be decisive in the process of getting children to participate in SMC and retaining their participation.

Risk of Negative Health Outcomes and High Costs for People With Diabetes and Unmet Psychological Needs in the United States

Measuring the population-level relationship between compromised mental health and diabetes care remains an important goal for clinicians and health care decision-makers. We evaluated the impact of self-reported unmet psychological need on health care resource utilization and total health care expenditure in people with type 2 diabetes. Patients who reported unmet psychological needs were more likely than those who did not to incur a higher annual medical expenditure, have greater resource utilization, and have a higher risk of all-cause mortality.

Risk of Negative Health Outcomes and High Costs for People With Diabetes and Unmet Psychological Needs in the United States

Measuring the population-level relationship between compromised mental health and diabetes care remains an important goal for clinicians and health care decision-makers. We evaluated the impact of self-reported unmet psychological need on health care resource utilization and total health care expenditure in people with type 2 diabetes. Patients who reported unmet psychological needs were more likely than those who did not to incur a higher annual medical expenditure, have greater resource utilization, and have a higher risk of all-cause mortality.

Listen and you will see the person through the dementia

Dementia is an ever-increasing health and social problem, with a growing number of people being affected worldwide. As dementia progresses, dependency on others increases, requiring the presence of caregivers. Caregivers tend to focus on the diagnosis itself – dementia – which makes it difficult to see the person in their uniqueness. The person is there, and can be seen by listening, which requires time and communication skills. The voices of older adults living with several types of dementia, collected while working as a psychologist in a nursing home, are presented in the first person to bring forward the person they are. These excerpts of interactions illustrate the basic psychological need of relatedness, which is built through interaction, stories, and touch, and the needs of competence and autonomy. The framework of this paper encompasses validation therapy, person-centered care, and self-determination theory. Two conclusions emerge: Seeing the person through the dementia enables an adequate psychological assessment and a helpful supportive psychotherapy, and it also makes us acknowledge and help satisfy the three basic psychological needs of relatedness, competence, and autonomy.

Risk of Negative Health Outcomes and High Costs for People With Diabetes and Unmet Psychological Needs in the United States

Measuring the population-level relationship between compromised mental health and diabetes care remains an important goal for clinicians and health care decision-makers. We evaluated the impact of self-reported unmet psychological need on health care resource utilization and total health care expenditure in people with type 2 diabetes. Patients who reported unmet psychological needs were more likely than those who did not to incur a higher annual medical expenditure, have greater resource utilization, and have a higher risk of all-cause mortality.

The relationship between the perception of reduced performance due to injury or illness and basic psychological need satisfaction in Norwegian youth elite handball: a cross-lagged panel analysis

This study investigated the relationship between perceived reduction in performance due to injury or illness (RPII) and basic psychological need satisfaction in youth elite handball. Participants were 174 elite youth handball players between 15 to 18 years of age, from five different sport schools. It was a quantitative study, with two time points (one week apart), resulting in a crossed-lagged structural equation model. Competence and relatedness satisfaction were found invariant across the two time points, autonomy was not. The structural model showed good fit ((S- B χ²) = [df = 130, N= 174] = 182.327, p < .0017; CFI = .96; RMSEA = .05 [.03-.06], and SRMR = .08). Competence (β= .64, 95%CI: .51, .76), relatedness (β= .77, 95%CI: .66, .88) and RPII (β= .51, 95%CI: .37, .66) showed moderate temporal stability. When accounting for previous levels of the basic psychological needs, RPII negatively predicted competence (β= -.20, 95%CI: -.35, .83) and relatedness (β= -.16, 95%CI: -.30, -.01). Taken together, these findings suggest that experiencing RPII can have implications for basic psychological need satisfaction in youth elite handball, showing that factors other than psychosocial ones may play a role therein.

GENDER SPECIFICITY OF SUBJECTIVITY MANIFESTATIONS IN SITUATIONS OF AUTONOMY AND NON-AUTONOMY

The relevance of this article is due to the need to study the gender specifics of the relationship between the manifestations of subjectivity (mental states, procedural and effective parameters of the situation) with the basic psychological need for autonomy to apply the data obtained in the practice of psychological and pedagogical support of the educational process at the university. The goal of the empirical research was to determine the gender common and peculiar in the manifestations of subjectivity, depending on the degree of autonomy of the subject of activity. The main hypothesis was the assumption that there are differences in the manifestations of subjectivity in situations with different levels of autonomy among respondents of different genders. The sample consisted of 112 people (56 men and 56 women). The age of men was from 22 to 42 years (M=25, SD=3,5 years). The age of women was from 22 to 45 years (M=24, SD=2,8 years). The respondents - advanced students (n=112) in the form of a free essay described the situations of extrinsic and internal motivation when studying at the university and compared them with each other by any possible criteria. For data processing, the methods of content analysis, frequency analysis of text and the Fisher angular transformation criterion were used. Statistically significant differences in the emotional and intellectual-emotional manifestations of states in subjects of different sexes were revealed. In situations of autonomy, women more often experienced states of joy, interest and passion (p≤0,05), and men experienced pleasure (p≤0,01). The state of relief in situations of non-autonomy was more common for women than for men (p≤0,01). Differences in the frequency of mention of procedural and effective parameters of situations in respondents of different sexes were not found. The results of the study can be used in the development of programs for the adaptation of future specialists to changes in the labor market conditions.

Basic Need Satisfaction Intervention for Mainland Chinese International Students’ Adjustment to College

With an increasing number of students pursuing their tertiary studies overseas, ways to improve their adaptation into a new environment become of the utmost importance. By applying self-determination theory, the current research investigated the extent that a basic psychological need intervention can increase need-satisfying experiences and promote the adjustment of Mainland Chinese international students to college. In total, 55 participants were randomly assigned to an intervention or control condition. They completed questionnaires on basic need satisfaction and college adjustment before the start of the study, right after the completion of the intervention, and after a 5-week follow-up. Participants who received the intervention had significantly higher need satisfaction and adjustment to college than those in the control condition. The intervention effect was maintained after a 5-week delay. In addition, the results showed that the increases in psychological need satisfaction after the intervention predicted higher levels of students’ adjustment to college. Theoretical implications for the universality of basic need satisfaction to students’ well-being and practical implications for international education are discussed.

Does Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction Matter to College Students’ Sustained Volunteering? A Mixed-Methods Study

Based on the self-determination theory (SDT), this study used a mixed-methods (i.e., quantitative and qualitative approaches) design to explore the role of basic psychological need satisfaction (BPNS) played in sustained volunteering. Quantitative analysis of 803 college student volunteers revealed that competence and relatedness need satisfaction had significant associations with sustained volunteering, while autonomy need satisfaction did not. Furthermore, latent profile analyses identified five profiles of BPNS: low (Profile 1), relatively low (Profile 2), moderate (Profile 3), low autonomy-high competence and relatedness (Profile 4), and high (Profile 5). Volunteers in Profile 4 and Profile 5 reported higher sustained volunteering than those in other profiles. Subsequent qualitative synthesis of interview data from 33 college student volunteers found that competence need satisfaction (45.58%) was mentioned most frequently among the factors promoting sustained volunteering, then followed by relatedness (27.43%) and autonomy need satisfaction (11.06%). These findings highlight the important role of BPNS, especially competence and relatedness need satisfaction, in promoting college students’ long-term volunteering.