Beneficial for Some or for Everyone? Exploring the Effects of an Autonomy-Supportive Intervention in the Real-Life Classroom

The present study investigated whether an autonomy-supportive intervention influenced students' need satisfaction, achievement emotions, and strategies of self-regulated learning differently depending on several student characteristics. The study was conducted with a sample of 345 9th-grade stu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of educational psychology 2019-02, Vol.111 (2), p.210-234
Main Authors: Flunger, Barbara, Mayer, Axel, Umbach, Nora
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Achievement Need
Autonomy
Classrooms
Female
Foreign Countries
Gender Differences
Grade 9
Grades (Scholastic)
Human
Incentives
Instructional Effectiveness
Intervention
Learning
Learning Strategies
Male
Motivation
Need Gratification
Personal Autonomy
Physics
Psychological Patterns
School Based Intervention
Science Instruction
Science Teachers
Secondary School Students
Self control
Self Efficacy
Self-Regulated Learning
Student Behavior
Student Characteristics
Student Motivation
Teacher Characteristics
Teaching Methods
Teaching Styles
Test Construction
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Summary:The present study investigated whether an autonomy-supportive intervention influenced students' need satisfaction, achievement emotions, and strategies of self-regulated learning differently depending on several student characteristics. The study was conducted with a sample of 345 9th-grade students in 17 physics classrooms who were randomly assigned to an experimental or a control condition. In both conditions, their physics teachers taught a standardized teaching unit on heat transfer that either entailed autonomy support (via provision of choices, provision of rationales, and informational language) or was taught using the regular teaching style. A range of student characteristics (gender, prior physics grades, physics-related effort, interest, extrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, and perceived autonomy in physics class) were considered as potential moderators. The differential effectiveness of the autonomy-supportive intervention was investigated using the EffecLiteR approach. Both the average effects of the intervention and conditional effects (i.e., distinct interactions of the intervention with each of the student characteristics) were investigated. Analyzing average treatment effects revealed that the autonomy-supportive intervention had a positive impact on all outcomes. The intervention fostered need satisfaction, positive achievement emotions, and learning behaviors and reduced negative emotions. Moreover, the results showed that students' prior grades moderated the effects of the intervention with regard to 3 outcomes: Students with higher grades reported greater optional choices, joy and effort. These findings point to the benefits of providing autonomy support in physics and demonstrate the relevance of conducting a detailed analysis of the differential effects of motivational interventions. Educational Impact and Implications Statement The present study suggests that an autonomy-supportive intervention in physics classes provided through physics teachers can be a useful method to promote students' need satisfaction, achievement emotions, and strategies of self-regulated learning, irrespective of their initial motivation and engagement. A detailed analysis of effects revealed that prior physics grades moderated the effects of the intervention on 3 of the 12 considered state outcomes (optional choices, joy, and effort). Thus, it seems worthwhile to consider a broader range of student characteristics in the design of interventions, to incorpora
ISSN:0022-0663
1939-2176
DOI:10.1037/edu0000284