The impact of homeroom teacher support on high school students' academic motivation: a serial mediation model of classmate support and basic psychological needs satisfaction.

backgroundThe classroom serves as a vital setting for students' learning and development, with classmates being the individuals they interact with most frequently. Compared to subject teachers, homeroom teachers typically have a more comprehensive and lasting impact on students. However, much of the existing research has focused on the influence of subject teachers on students’ academic motivation, with less attention to how homeroom teachers and classmates together shape motivation within the classroom environment. To address this gap, the present study draws on Self-Determination Theory and Ecosystem Theory to explore the relationships between homeroom teacher support, classmate support, basic psychological need satisfaction, and academic motivation among high school students.

methodsFollowing the acquisition of informed consent from school administrators, homeroom teachers, all participants, and their parents, the survey was administered in January 2024. The initial sample comprised 1,843 11th graders from Chinese public high schools. After data screening, 1,700 valid questionnaires (92.2% response rate) constituted the final analytic sample. Due to China's nationally uniform school entry age policy, participants' ages were highly homogeneous (approximately 16 years old). Data analysis was conducted in three steps. First, descriptive statistics and correlation analyses were performed using SPSS 26.0. Second, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) were conducted with Mplus 8.3. Finally, the bootstrap method with 1,000 samples was employed to determine the 95% confidence intervals for the mediation effects.

resultsPath analyses revealed differentiated mediating roles of basic psychological needs. Autonomy and competence satisfaction mediated the relationship directly. In contrast, relatedness satisfaction only emerged as a significant mediator within a serial pathway: homeroom teacher support enhanced classmate support, which in turn increased relatedness satisfaction, ultimately predicting higher external and identified regulation. This serial mediation pathway (homeroom teacher → classmate support → basic needs satisfaction) accounted for the majority (50–79%) of homeroom teachers' total effect on all motivation types.

conclusionsThe findings expand the situational application of Basic Psychological Needs Theory by demonstrating that the fulfillment of relatedness in classrooms is contingent on peer dynamics facilitated by the homeroom teacher. This highlights the homeroom teacher's dual role as a direct need supporter and an architect of the peer social environment, offering a powerful leverage point for enhancing student motivation through classroom management.