Teachers' motivational approach: Links with students’ basic psychological need frustration, maladaptive engagement, and academic outcomes

We examined students' perceptions of their teachers' motivational approach by way of autonomy-supportive and controlling practices. Among 771 Australian secondary school students, structural equation modeling showed that controlling practices predicted greater basic psychological need frustration and, in turn, greater self-handicapping and disengagement. Autonomy-supportive practices predicted lower disengagement. Moreover, self-handicapping was...