Providing the Classroom Context in Which Students Longitudinally Develop Course-Specific Mental Toughness (Poster 43)

• In Event: Thursday Poster Session 4:20 pm
  In Poster Session: Motivation, Social Identity, and Understudied Populations

Abstract

We used self-determination theory to investigate students’ long-term (1-year) development of course-specific mental toughness. Using a randomized control trial research design with longitudinally assessed dependent measures (4 waves), we proposed a hypothesized model in which autonomy-supportive teaching at T1 would increase perceived T2 teacher and peer support, and that these supportive relationships would longitudinally increase T3 need satisfaction, which would explain greater T4 mental toughness. We randomly assigned 38 Korean teachers and their 2,057 students into the experimental (intervention) or control conditions. A multilevel structural equation modeling showed that the hypothesized model fit the data very well. The developmental roots of mental toughness lie not in adversity-based hardships (“no pain, no gain”) but, instead, in recurring experiences of need satisfaction.

Authors

• Johnmarshall Reeve, Australian Catholic University

• Sung Hyeon Cheon, Korea University

• Chang Ha Im, Korea University

• Woo Young Joo, Korea University

• Hyungshim Jang, Hanyang University