The motivational process in Chinese vocational college dancers : an investigation in perceived autonomy support, motivational climate, basic psychological needs satisfaction and motivation characteristics / Mengqian Shi (2017)

Objectives: Grounded in the Self-determination Theory (SDT) and Achievement Goal Theory (AGT), this study aims to investigate the motivation characteristics of Chinese vocational college (CVC) dancers and their underlying motivational process through Perceived Autonomy Support (PAS), Motivational Climate and Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction (BPNS).

Methods: This descriptive study used questionnaire to collect the data for PAS, Motivational Climate, BPNS and types of motivation. Correlation, prediction and mediation were tested through SPSS.

Results: Overall, students perceived a more task- than ego-involving climate with sufficient autonomy support from teachers in their training environment, in which their BPNs were satisfied. Their motivation of doing dance were more autonomous than controlled. PAS and Task-involving Climate (TC) positively predicted Autonomous Motivation through satisfying all BPNs. However, PAS and BPNS also showed positive associations with Controlled Regulation. PAS positively predicted External Regulation (ER) through satisfying Autonomy and Competence needs while Relatedness was absent. Ego-involving Climate (EC) had the positive prediction to Controlled Regulation.

Conclusion: The present study partially supports SDT and AGT in the investigation of CVC dancers’ motivational process. Cultural and societal variances are suspected to be the confounding variables for the interpretation of Autonomy satisfaction and PAS from teachers, which affect the full internalisation process. Although the results show Autonomy is associated with Controlled Regulation, the fact that a task-involving and autonomous training environment can enhance dancers’ Autonomous Motivation through satisfying three BPNs is supported by this study. In contrast, EC promotes dancers’ Controlled Regulation. Therefore, a task-involving climate with appropriate autonomy support from teacher should be applied in the dance class; and egoinvolvement should be diminished as it increases CVC dancers’ ER and Amotivation in doing dance.