Motivational Teaching Styles and Student Engagement: A Multilevel Study in Portuguese Elementary Schools

Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, the present study examined associations between motivational teaching styles and students’ engagement in Portuguese elementary classrooms, using a multilevel approach to account for both individual- and classroom-level effects. This cross-sectional study employed a convenience sample of 662 fourth-grade students, who completed items from the Engagement Versus Disaffection with Learning scale, and 42 teachers, who completed the Situations-in-School questionnaire. Hierarchical linear modeling accounted for the nested structure of the data and showed that autonomy-supportive (β = .10) and structuring (β = .12) teaching styles were positively associated with behavioral engagement, whereas emotional engagement was linked only to structuring (β = .13). Controlling and chaotic teaching styles were not significantly associated with student engagement. Most variance in engagement was observed at the individual level, with a smaller proportion attributable to classroom-level differences (ICCs = .02 to .06 across models). These findings underscore the importance of teachers providing structure and autonomy support, with practical implications for teacher training and the design of psychoeducational interventions that foster more motivating learning environments in the early years of schooling.