Immigrant adolescent perceptions of parental and teacher autonomy

Self-Determination Theory (SDT) is a contemporary macrotheory of human motivation which suggests that optimal human functioning and healthy development are based on the fulfillment of three psychological needs: competence, relatedness, and autonomy. The current book focuses primarily on autonomy, which is considered to be a core construct of SDT. Research has largely established the benefits of parental and teacher autonomy support for students in Western cultures. However, there is to date little empirical research on the perceptions of autonomy among adolescent immigrants. Thus, the overarching purpose of this book was to examine the relation of autonomy support to the outcomes of intrinsic motivation, school engagement, and self-regulated learning among a sample of immigrant students. The effects of immigrant adolescent perceptions of parental and teacher autonomy support on these three outcomes were assessed using standard multiple regression analyses. In addition to being a resource for graduate students, educational researchers, and psychologists, this book is a "must read" for a multidisciplinary audience of academics trying to understand the pressing topic of immigrants