How Teachers Support Students' Mastery Gaol Orientations in Vietnamese Classrooms: The Significance of Relatedness

Abstract

Relatedness is a basic psychological need that, when satisfied, facilitates well-being and results in higher motivation and achievement (Ryan & Deci, 2000a). In societies such as Vietnam, where individuals are influenced by Confucian cultural values that emphasise interpersonal relationships, relatedness with significant others is considered an important need for student academic motivation (Bao & Lam, 2008; Chong, Huan, Quek, Yeo, & Ang, 2010). In Vietnamese classrooms, where teachers are viewed as parents who are responsible for the development of students’ knowledge and moral behaviour, student need for relatedness to teachers is considerable. However, few studies have explored the importance of the influence of teacher-student relatedness on Vietnamese students’ learning motivation, especially in settings where student-centered models are implemented with the aim of improving student competence and skill mastery.