Basic psychological needs in the classroom: A literature review in elementary and middle school students

Self-Determination Theory conceptualizes basic psychological needs (BPN) for autonomy, competence and relatedness as essentials for the learner to experience, maintain, and promote well-being, personal growth, and learning. However, the evidence of its influence in the classroom is still limited, especially in basic education (ages six to 14). The aim of the present study was to perform a systematic review of empirical evidence addressing the association of basic psychological needs on motivation, well-being, engagement, and academic achievement in elementary and middle school students. A comprehensive search of studies published in peer-review articles (2000–2021) was conducted on six electronic databases, and from 204 articles retrieved, 32 articles met the inclusion criteria. The studies showed that all psychological needs satisfaction were positively associated with intrinsic motivation and engagement. In contrast, due to the lack of studies that met methodological quality, the hypothesis that need satisfaction positively influences the well-being and academic achievement of elementary school students cannot be fully supported. The findings underscore the role of teachers in supporting pupils’ psychological needs, not only for early adolescents, but also for children. However, the strength of the evidence is tempered by the lack of studies for each variable studied. Further experimental research on this topic should elucidate how educators can harness the benefits of need-supportive environment to improve the motivation, well-being, engagement and achievement of children in their communities.