Autonomy Support and Children's School Attachment: Motivation as a Mediator [Özerklik Desteǧi ve Çocuklarin Okula Baǧliliǧi: Motivasyonun Aracilik Rolü]

Abstract

The present study examined the mediating role of motivation in the association between autonomy support and children's school attachment. The study participants consisted of 437 primary school students (232 girls and 205 boys) selected from six schools in a province located in Turkey's southeast region. A hypothesized model was developed and tested by structural equation modeling on cross-sectional data. The data were collected via The School Attachment Scale for Children and Adolescents, The Scale for Motivation in Education, and The Short Form of the Learning Climate Scale. The results indicated that autonomy support had an indirect effect on school attachment through internal motivation. Contrary to these findings, it has been determined that neither identified external motivation nor introjected external motivation affected attachment to the school's directly and indirectly. © 2021 The authors. All right reserved.