Teachers' and parents' autonomy support and psychological control perceived in junior-high school: Extending the dual-process model of self-determination theory

Grounded in self-determination theory, the present study investigated the perceived social-contextual relationships between junior-high school adolescents and their teachers and parents. Through a dual-process motivation mediation model, we examined the respective connections between autonomy support and autonomous motivation and between psychological control and controlled motivation, and the predictive effect on students' academic performance and school satisfaction. A sample of junior-high school students (N = 614) from China completed a battery of scales. Final exam scores were obtained to measure academic performance. Structural equation modeling analysis indicated that perceived autonomy support was positively correlated with autonomous and controlled motivation. Autonomous motivation further mediated the predictive effect of autonomy support on academic performance and school satisfaction. No evidence was found to support the relationship between psychological control, motivation, and academic outcomes. Teachers' autonomy support showed a similar or stronger association than parents' autonomy support to motivation and academic outcomes. The present study accentuated the role of interpersonal environment in junior-high school students' self-determination and academic outcomes and extended the dual-process motivation mediation model to include multiple sources. Results are discussed in terms of their relevance to self-determination theory.