Aleksandra Huić, Lucia Balaško

THE IMPORTANCE OF TEACHER'S BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS AND THEIR SELF-EFFICACY BEING THE DETERMINANTS OF TEACHER'S (DE)MOTIVATING STYLES

Introduction

The importance of teacher's basic psychological needs and their self-efficacy being the determinants of teacher's (de)motivating styles. Explore how teachers' basic psychological needs and self-efficacy determine their motivating and demotivating styles, impacting student success. Study in Croatian education.

Abstract

The circumplex model of teachers' (de)motivating styles distinguishes four styles of behaviour with which teachers can motivate (autonomy-support and structure) or demotivate (control style and chaos) their students. In this study, we expand existing knowledge by investigating the determinants of these styles, which are ultimately associated with better or worse student success and well-being. In addition, we investigate the model in the Croatian educational context. Our goals were to examine the relationship between the satisfaction/frustration of teachers' psychological needs and their (de)motivating styles and to check the incremental contribution of different dimensions of teacher self-efficacy (classroom management, instructional strategies, student engagement) in explaining teacher (de) motivating styles. The study was conducted online with 365 teachers from elementary-, middle- and high schools. Results confirm the positive relationship between need satisfaction and motivating styles and need thwarting and demotivating styles. Teacher self-efficacy was a significant independent predictor of styles in addition to psychological needs. The instructional strategies self-efficacy dimension had a significant positive independent contribution in predicting autonomy-supportive and structuring style and negative for the chaotic style. The classroom management dimension was a significant predictor of the structuring style, while the self-efficacy dimension in student engagement was a significant predictor of the autonomy-supportive style. None of the dimensions of self-efficacy had a significant contribution in explaining the variance of the controlling style. Methodological shortcomings and practical implications of the study are also discussed.

Review

This study presents a timely and relevant investigation into the crucial determinants of teachers' (de)motivating styles, drawing upon the well-established circumplex model. By examining the interplay between teachers' basic psychological needs (satisfaction/frustration) and various dimensions of their self-efficacy, the research effectively expands existing theoretical frameworks. A particular strength lies in its explicit goal to assess the incremental contribution of specific self-efficacy dimensions—classroom management, instructional strategies, and student engagement—in explaining these styles, thereby offering a more nuanced understanding than prior studies. Furthermore, the study's application within the Croatian educational context adds valuable cross-cultural insights to a field often dominated by Western perspectives. The methodology employed an online survey with a substantial sample of 365 elementary, middle, and high school teachers, providing a broad overview of the phenomena. The findings largely confirm theoretical expectations, demonstrating a clear positive relationship between psychological need satisfaction and motivating styles (autonomy-support and structure), and conversely, between need thwarting and demotivating styles (control and chaos). Significantly, teacher self-efficacy emerged as an independent predictor of these styles, augmenting the explanatory power beyond psychological needs alone. The disaggregated analysis of self-efficacy dimensions is particularly insightful: instructional strategies were positively linked to autonomy-supportive and structuring styles while negatively to chaotic styles, classroom management predicted structuring style, and student engagement predicted autonomy-support. The finding that none of the self-efficacy dimensions significantly explained the controlling style offers a unique point for further exploration. While the abstract notes that methodological shortcomings are discussed in the full paper, the presented findings offer important practical implications for teacher development and support. Recognizing that teachers' own psychological needs and specific facets of their self-efficacy significantly shape their classroom behavior provides a clear pathway for interventions. Training programs could be designed to foster teachers' sense of competence and autonomy, and target specific self-efficacy beliefs, particularly in instructional strategies and student engagement, to cultivate more motivating classroom environments. This research provides a robust foundation for enhancing teacher effectiveness and, consequently, student success and well-being.

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