# K-12 students’ basic psychological needs satisfaction in online learning: perceived level, group difference, and its influence

## TL;DR

This study explores how K-12 students feel about their psychological needs in online learning and how these needs affect their engagement.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into grade-level differences and the role of psychological needs in online learning engagement.

## Key findings

- Middle school students reported higher psychological needs satisfaction than elementary and high school students.
- Autonomy and competence significantly predict all three dimensions of online learning engagement.
- Competence is the strongest predictor of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional engagement.

## Abstract

In the post-pandemic educational landscape, online learning has become increasingly embedded in K-12 education. Self-determination theory claims that satisfying basic psychological needs is critical in student learning. Despite numerous empirical researches on basic psychological needs, there remains limited understanding of K-12 students’ perceived level, group differences of basic psychological needs satisfaction in online learning and its influence on online learning engagement.

This study aims to (i) examine K-12 students’ perceived levels of basic psychological needs satisfaction in online learning; (ii) analyze group differences based on gender and grade level; and (iii) test the influence of need satisfaction on cognitive, behavioral, and emotional engagement in online learning.

A quantitative study was employed. Data were collected from 1,073 K-12 students across 10 schools in China using stratified random sampling. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlations, and multiple regression analyses.

Results indicated that most students reported moderate levels of psychological needs satisfaction, with few reporting high levels. Significant differences were found across grade levels: middle school students reported higher satisfaction than both elementary and high school students, and elementary students scored higher than high school students; no significant gender differences were observed. Regression analyses revealed that autonomy and competence significantly predicted all three dimensions of engagement. Competence emerged as the strongest predictor. Relatedness significantly predicted emotional and behavioral engagement but not cognitive engagement.

These findings extend Self-Determination Theory to the context of K-12 online learning and highlight the differential roles of the three basic needs. The results underscore the importance of designing online instruction that enhances competence and autonomy to promote student engagement. Educational policymakers and practitioners should consider grade-specific strategies to better support students’ basic psychological needs in digital environments.