The Guangdong–SDT Paradox: Learning Climate and the Cultural Internalization of Motivation in Elite Dance Education

Abstract : This study investigates the interplay between motivational orientations, learning climate, and student engagement within elite undergraduate dance programs in Guangdong, China. While Self-Determination Theory (SDT) typically frames controlled motivation as maladaptive, this research posits a “Guangdong–SDT Paradox,” where culturally embedded obligations support persistence. Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected from 509 dance students across six institutions and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results identify learning climate as the dominant predictor of multidimensional engagement, explaining over 70% of the variance. Consistent with SDT, autonomous motivation strongly predicted engagement and partially mediated the influence of the learning climate. However, contrary to Western-centric models, controlled motivation exhibited a significant positive effect on engagement, suggesting that collectivist values such as filial piety and institutional “face” function as adaptive mechanisms in high-performance contexts. These findings support a theory of “contextualized universality,” where basic psychological needs are universal but their expression is culturally modulated. The study concludes that instructor-led autonomy support is essential for internalizing both intrinsic and culturally sanctioned motivations, offering a framework for sustaining engagement in elite arts education.