The Effect of Primary and Middle School Teachers’ Problematic Internet Use and Fear of COVID-19 on Psychological Need Thwarting of Online Teaching and Psychological Distress

Problematic Internet use (PIU) is a risk factor for psychological distress during COVID-19, as teachers are a psychologically vulnerable population. We explored the role of PIU in terms of primary and middle school teachers’ fear of COVID-19 and psychological need thwarting (PNT) of online teaching. We empirically evaluated the relationships among these research variables in explaining teachers’ psychological distress during COVID-19. Online survey data were collected from 9,030 teachers. A high proportion of participants demonstrated psychological distress: depression (20.4%), anxiety (26.4%), and stress (10.2%). Structural equation modeling was used to test our proposed conceptual model, wherein PIU behaviors served as predictors, mediated by fear of COVID-19 and PNT of online teaching, for teachers’ psychological distress. With ideal model fit, the results of the path coefficients indicated that PIU behaviors were associated with fear of COVID-19 (p < 0.001); fear of COVID-19 and PNT of online teaching were associated with psychological distress (p < 0.001); and fear of COVID-19 was also positively associated with PNT of online teaching (p < 0.001). PSU and PSMU had an indirect positive effect on psychological distress through the mediator of fear of COVID-19 and PNT of online teaching. As such, we suggest that school administrators pay greater attention to teachers’ psychological needs through efforts to enhance teachers’ autonomy and relatedness from interpersonal relationships, alleviating PNT of online teaching. Our PNT of online teaching scale may also serve as a contribution for further research and practice.

Antecedents of primary school teachers’ need-supportive and need-thwarting styles in physical education

It is widely acknowledged that teachers’ (de)motivating style (what they say, do and how they act) affects students’ learning. Understanding what leads teachers to adopt a (de)motivating style is necessary to develop effective training programmes. The current study aimed to identify antecedents of teachers’ motivating (i.e. need-supportive) and demotivating (i.e. need-thwarting) styles by (a) examining the relationships between five types of pressures and these styles and (b) investigating the mediating role of motivation. A total of 509 generalist primary school teachers completed a questionnaire about their perceived styles, perceived pressures from above (i.e. time constraints, pressure to display authority), below (i.e. perceptions of students’ disengagement) and within (i.e. beliefs about the effectiveness of rewards, and the adherence to entity theory), and their autonomous and controlled motivations to teach physical education. Structural equation modelling showed that a need-supportive style was negatively predicted by students’ disengagement and teachers’ adherence to entity theory, and this relation was fully mediated by autonomous motivation. A need-thwarting style was positively predicted by pressure to display authority and beliefs about the effectiveness of rewards. Results showed that when pressures from below and from within are reduced, teachers adopt a more need-supportive style, because they are more likely to enjoy and value teaching. Conversely, when pressures from above and from within are prevalent, teachers are more likely to adopt a need-thwarting style. This study identified the pressures to be targeted when developing interventions which aim to modify teachers’ (de)motivating styles which in turn could impact students’ motivation and behaviours.

Need-Supportive and Need-Thwarting Teacher Behavior: Their Importance to Boys’ and Girls’ Academic Engagement and Procrastination Behavior

Motivation plays an important role in students’ school behavior, and research has established that students’ learning environment experiences such as teachers’ behavior toward them contribute to their motivation and behavior at school. Self-determination theory (SDT) offers an interesting frame of reference in the study of the relationship between students’ learning experiences at school and their school behavior. Considering three basic psychological needs (the need for autonomy, competence, and relatedness), the SDT points to the importance of nutriments and support in the social environment in order to allow growth in motivation, engagement, and (psychological) well-functioning. In addition, thwarting these needs is supposed to contribute to maladaptive functioning. Teachers can play an important role in the fulfillment of students’ basic psychological needs by delivering support (autonomy support, structure, and involvement); however, controlling instructional behavior, chaos in the classroom, and teacher rejection and neglect are supposed to be a treat to the fulfillment of students’ basic psychological needs. In the current innovative longitudinal study, teachers’ need-supportive behavior as well as teachers’ thwarting of these needs are considered and their relationship with students’ academic engagement (adaptive functioning) and procrastination behavior (maladaptive functioning) is studied. In addition, attention is paid to differential effects of teachers’ behavior with regard to boys and girls. Participants were 566 students belonging to 20 mathematics/English grade 1 secondary education classes in the Netherlands. Multilevel analyses revealed evidence for the importance of both teachers’ need-supportive and need-thwarting behaviors in relation to students’ academic engagement and procrastination behavior. In addition, the findings revealed that teachers’ need-supportive behavior is more important for students’ academic engagement (adaptive functioning), while teachers’ need-thwarting behavior has larger effects on students’ procrastination behavior (maladaptive functioning). Furthermore, evidence was found that boys often seemed to be more sensitive to their teachers’ behavior than girls. The findings highlight the importance of both teachers’ need-supportive and need-thwarting behaviors in daily classrooms and contribute to deepen our insight into and understanding of factors leading to adaptive and maladaptive functioning of boys and girls in relation to learning tasks at school.

Case Studies From Elite Youth Soccer: Reflections on Talent Development Practices

With early specialisation being commonplace within elite youth soccer, knowledge of the psychosocial implications associated with talent development practices would be of considerable use for the coaching practitioner. This paper uses case studies as a platform to discuss potential psychosocial implications of early specialisation, and further, it also offers practical suggestions for the elite youth soccer coach. Three case studies were chosen; each is an account of observations that took place within a British soccer academy. Themes of the case studies included adult-led structures in early specialisation, awareness of need thwarting coach behaviours, and the retention or release of players. The case studies were deliberately chosen to prompt discussion, reflection, and action. Following the presentation of each case study, a theoretically driven discussion is formulated. Practical suggestions are then provided to assist in the management of talent development practices within elite youth soccer and to further enrich the experiences of players. Concluding thoughts and areas for future research are briefly discussed.

Exploring the Relationships of Autonomy- supportive Climate, Psychological Need Satisfaction and Thwarting with Students’ Self-talk in Physical Education

Aims: Based on the framework of the Self-determination Theory and focusing on the theory of Basic Psychological Needs, we explored the relationships between Physical Education (PE) teachers’ autonomy-supportive behaviors and students’ need satisfaction, need thwarting, and self-talk during the PE lesson. Methodology: Participants were 544 primary and secondary education Greek students (aged from 12 to 15 years), from nine elementary schools (n = 259) and eight secondary schools (n = 285) in central Greece, who completed a multi-section questionnaire. Results: Results revealed that PE teachers’ autonomy-supportive climate and need satisfaction was positively associated with positive self-talk and negatively associated with negative self-talk, whereas need thwarting was positively related to negative self-talk and negatively related to positive self-talk. Regression analyses revealed that autonomy-supportive climate and competence need thwarting were significant predictors (positive and negative, respectively) of students’ positive self-talk. Furthermore, autonomy and relatedness need satisfaction were negative predictors, whereas competence and relatedness need thwarting were positive predictors of students’ negative self-talk. Conclusion: Overall, the findings suggest that when PE teachers create a class environment that supports students’ autonomy and the satisfaction of their BPN, while at the same prevents need thwarting, they can positively influence students’ self-talk.

Exercise Promotion: Reviewing the Importance of Health Professionals’ Interpersonal Behaviors on Exercisers’ Basic Psychological Needs

Previous studies have investigated the impact of exercisers’ perceptions of health professionals’ interpersonal behaviors on exercisers’ exercise adherence. From these studies, there is increased interest in developing and evaluating programs to improve health professionals’ communication skills and interpersonal behavior. In this narrative review, we provide examples of self-determination theory and newer modifications to it, discuss the empirical conditions that foster optimal exerciser motivation, consider the antecedent factors influencing health professionals’ behaviors, and offer practical suggestions to health professionals seeking to promote regular exercise practice. Since exercisers perceive and differentiate health professionals’ need-supportive, need-thwarting, and need-passive behaviors, health professionals who can critically and consciously distinguish these different types of behavior are more likely to foster supportive climates and suppress the use of need-thwarting and need-indifferent behaviors. The interpersonal interaction between health professionals and exercisers strongly influences how exercisers will regulate their behavior toward persistent exercise.

Need Satisfaction and Need Thwarting in Physical Education and Intention to be Physically Active

The aim of this study is to evaluate a theoretical model for analyzing the influence of need satisfaction, need thwarting, motivation, enjoyment, boredom, and exhaustion in physical education on the intention to be physically active. In addition, we examined the mediation effect of motivation between basic psychological needs and the intention to be physically active. The study was based on self-determination theory. To achieve this, 480 students between 12 and 18 years old filled out a questionnaire to measure the satisfaction and thwarting of basic psychological needs, motivation, enjoyment, boredom, exhaustion, and intention to be physically active. The results of path analysis showed the relevance of the satisfaction of the need for competence in physical education in order to increase self-determined motivation, enjoyment, and intention to be physically active. Additionally, intention was positively predicted by enjoyment and negatively predicted by exhaustion. Need thwarting directly predicted negative consequences, such as boredom and exhaustion. Motivation mediated the relationship between basic needs and intention to be physically active. These data highlight the importance of considering basic psychological need thwarting in studies on the promotion of physical activity.

Fitness trainers’ use of need-supportive and need-thwarting behaviors: the role of gender, fitness activity, and professional experience

Objective: The assessment of interventions designed to improve communication skills of trainers has become an interesting research focus among the scholar community. Yet, literature is scarce on how trainer characteristics could influence behaviors expressed by fitness trainers when interacting with gym members. The present research aimed to examine the role of gender, fitness activity, and work experience of fitness trainers use of need-supportive and need-thwarting behaviors. Method: In total, 468 trainers (female = 213; male = 255) aged between 19 and 46 years (M = 29.20; SD = 4.39) were recruited for the present study. Results: The measurement model provided acceptable fit in each group under analysis. Additionally, the multigroup analysis revealed invariance between gender, fitness activities, and working experience. Conclusion: Regarding the measurement of need-supportive and need-thwarting behaviors, the measure under analysis can be applied reliably to fitness trainers with different characteristics.

Relationships between Controlling Interpersonal Coaching Style, Basic Psychological Need Thwarting, and Burnout, in Adolescent Soccer Players

The aim of this paper is to analyze the relationships between a controlling interpersonal style, psychological need thwarting and burnout in adolescent soccer players and to test a structural equation model to analyze whether (a) a controlling interpersonal style is a predictor of psychological need thwarting and whether (b) psychological need thwarting is a predictor of burnout. A total of 103 male soccer players between the ages of 12 and 17 participated in the research (M = 14.91; SD = 5.56). The Controlling Coach Behaviors Scale, the Psychological Need Thwarting Scale, and the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire were used to evaluate the variables under study. The analyses revealed significant relationships between a controlling interpersonal style, psychological need thwarting and burnout. Furthermore, the proposed structural equations model, using the partial least squares (PLS) method, showed that a controlling style is a positive predictor of basic psychological need thwarting and that the latter is a predictor of burnout, as well as revealing an indirect relationship between a controlling style and burnout. This indirect effect of the controlling style variable on burnout can be enhanced (or attenuated) by the basic psychological need thwarting variable, which acts as a modulator.