Perceived Satisfaction of Psychological Needs in School: How Does It Predict School Adjustment Among 13–18-Year-Old Students?

Abstract

School adjustment and satisfaction of basic psychological needs are widely analysed constructs in psychological studies because of their relevance to students’ psychological well-being and overall success in school. The links between two out of three basic psychological needs as defined by the Self-determination Theory – the need for autonomy and competence, and school adjustment are almost universally acknowledged, however, the impact of the need for relatedness is less obvious. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between perceived satisfaction of basic psychological needs in school and school adjustment. 306 (150 girls and 156 boys) 13-18-yearold students from four Lithuanian schools were tested using nine items (three items from each scale) from the Perceived Autonomy in Life Domains Scale, the Need for Relatedness Scale, and the Perception of Competence in Life Domains Scale, and twenty-two items from the Student’s Adjustment to College Questionnaire. The results proved significant relationships between perceived satisfaction of all the three basic psychological needs and social, academic and personal-emotional adjustment in school. In addition, the results suggest that perceived satisfaction of different basic psychological needs can predict different school adjustment dimensions. Keywords: adolescence, self-determination theory, psychological needs, school adjustment. How to cite: Raižienė, S., Gabrialaviciūtė, I., Ruzgaitė, U., & Garckija, R. Suvoktas psichologinių poreikių patenkinimas mokykloje: kaip tai prognozuoja 13–18 metų mokinių prisitaikymą mokykloje? [Perceived satisfaction of psychological needs in school: How does it predict school adjustment among 13–18-year-old students?]. Ugdymo psichologija, 26 , 44–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.15823/up.2015.04