Basic psychological need satisfaction from the perspective of permanently excluded children and young people: An exploratory study

Abstract

This thesis explores the experiences of permanently excluded children and young people (CYP) from the perspective of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and the concept of the Basic Psychological Needs (BPNs). CYP who had experienced permanent exclusion from school were interviewed in order to explore how their BPN for Autonomy, Competence and Relatedness were perceived to have been satisfied or limited across three contexts: previous mainstream provision, current provision and outside of school. A thematic analysis of transcribed interview data was conducted and the role of BPN satisfaction in relation to the experience of permanent exclusion was explored. The experiences and perspectives expressed by participants suggested a range of social-contextual supports and limitations for BPNs across contexts. In line with existing SDT-based research, the findings suggest that participants’ experiences of reduced engagement, motivation, performance and well-being were associated with situations, events and relationships which were perceived to be limiting to BPNs. Where BPNs were perceived to have been supported, participants’ responses indicated increased engagement, autonomous motivation, performance and wellbeing. The researcher suggests that further research into the BPN satisfaction in schools is needed, including further qualitative exploration of the experiences of our most vulnerable and hard to reach CYP. Possible implications for teacher training, school management and the delivery of Educational Psychology (EP) services are discussed.