Although theoretical and empirical studies have explored the relationship between basic psychological need satisfaction (BPNS) and academic achievement in adolescents, the results of existing studies regarding the strength of this association have varied considerably. The divergence among studies necessitates an integration of previous findings to resolve this inconsistency and draw more definitive conclusions. Therefore, the present meta-analysis aimed to examine the associations of overall BPNS and its three constituent dimensions (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) with academic achievement in adolescents, estimating four separate models. We also examined whether the association differed by the characteristics of the study participants (sex, age), measurement factors (measurement tool of BPNS, indicator of academic achievement, time interval, study quality), and study background (culture, year of publication). A systematic literature review was conducted in Web of Science, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Google Scholar, and CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure). The advanced three-level meta-analyses were performed in R to synthesize the effect sizes. A total of 24 studies (N = 53577 participants) producing 71 effect sizes were included. The results showed a significant, small positive correlation between BPNS and academic achievement for BPNS (r = 0.247, p < 0.001), with specific effects for each of the constituent dimensions as follows: autonomy (r = 0.111, p < 0.001), competence (r = 0.197, p < 0.001), relatedness (r = 0.127, p = 0.002). While the primary analyses did not identify significant moderating effects across most variables, sensitivity analyses revealed a specific moderating role of culture. After excluding outliers, the relationship between competence and academic achievement was significantly stronger in Western cultures than in Eastern cultures. These findings suggest that the fulfillment of students’ basic psychological needs may be a broadly applicable strategy for enhancing academic achievement.
The Relationship Between Basic Psychological Needs and Academic Achievement in Adolescents: A Three-level Meta-analysis
Buzzai C.;
2026-01-01
Abstract
Although theoretical and empirical studies have explored the relationship between basic psychological need satisfaction (BPNS) and academic achievement in adolescents, the results of existing studies regarding the strength of this association have varied considerably. The divergence among studies necessitates an integration of previous findings to resolve this inconsistency and draw more definitive conclusions. Therefore, the present meta-analysis aimed to examine the associations of overall BPNS and its three constituent dimensions (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) with academic achievement in adolescents, estimating four separate models. We also examined whether the association differed by the characteristics of the study participants (sex, age), measurement factors (measurement tool of BPNS, indicator of academic achievement, time interval, study quality), and study background (culture, year of publication). A systematic literature review was conducted in Web of Science, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Google Scholar, and CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure). The advanced three-level meta-analyses were performed in R to synthesize the effect sizes. A total of 24 studies (N = 53577 participants) producing 71 effect sizes were included. The results showed a significant, small positive correlation between BPNS and academic achievement for BPNS (r = 0.247, p < 0.001), with specific effects for each of the constituent dimensions as follows: autonomy (r = 0.111, p < 0.001), competence (r = 0.197, p < 0.001), relatedness (r = 0.127, p = 0.002). While the primary analyses did not identify significant moderating effects across most variables, sensitivity analyses revealed a specific moderating role of culture. After excluding outliers, the relationship between competence and academic achievement was significantly stronger in Western cultures than in Eastern cultures. These findings suggest that the fulfillment of students’ basic psychological needs may be a broadly applicable strategy for enhancing academic achievement.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
