Teacher support for basic needs is associated with socio-emotional skills: a self-determination theory perspective

Abstract Socio-emotional skills have been identified as critical for individuals to achieve success in the twenty-first century. These skills are especially crucial for undergraduate and postgraduate students to navigate the challenges associated with academic learning, well-being, and future job performance. However, little attention has been given to exploring how socio-emotional skills can be facilitated in higher education. Across different educational systems and especially in the Chinese context, there seems to be more focus on academic performance and less on socio-emotional learning. Using self-determination theory as the theoretical framework, two studies were designed to investigate the extent to which teachers’ support for autonomy, competence, and relatedness was associated with university students’ socio-emotional skills. Data were collected from 1539 undergraduate students (Study 1) and 499 postgraduate students (Study 2). The results from the two studies indicated that students whose teachers supported their basic needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness had higher levels of socio-emotional skills, including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. This study helps advance our understanding of the role of teachers in students’ socio-emotional skills in both undergraduate and postgraduate contexts.