Secondary School Students’ Perceptions of Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness in Digital Learning: A Qualitative Study
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In: Computers in the Schools, 2025.
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Secondary School Students’ Perceptions of Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness in Digital Learning
T2 - A Qualitative Study
AU - Stalmach, Aleksandra
AU - D’Elia, Paola
AU - Di Sano, Sergio
AU - Casale, Gino
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - We explored secondary school students’ perceptions of digital educational tools in relation to basic psychological needs as outlined in Self-Determination Theory: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Within a qualitative research design, we used a self-designed semi-standardized questionnaire to gather insights from a sample of 41 schoolchildren aged fifteen to seventeen from a school located in Aljustrel, in Baixo Alentejo, an economically modest region in southern Portugal. The findings reveal that students perceive the digital tools as effective in supporting their autonomy and competence, enabling self-paced, self-directed, and engaging learning experiences. However, students expressed mixed views on the fulfillment of relatedness, often preferring the interpersonal interactions and comprehensive explanations provided by in-person teaching. Based on the responses, digital tools may foster autonomy and competence, but their impact on relatedness is more context-dependent and less consistent. While digital tools can be effective for extracurricular interest development, students demonstrate a preference for teachers’ personal attendance in formal school settings, especially when engrossed in a schedule of examinations.
AB - We explored secondary school students’ perceptions of digital educational tools in relation to basic psychological needs as outlined in Self-Determination Theory: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Within a qualitative research design, we used a self-designed semi-standardized questionnaire to gather insights from a sample of 41 schoolchildren aged fifteen to seventeen from a school located in Aljustrel, in Baixo Alentejo, an economically modest region in southern Portugal. The findings reveal that students perceive the digital tools as effective in supporting their autonomy and competence, enabling self-paced, self-directed, and engaging learning experiences. However, students expressed mixed views on the fulfillment of relatedness, often preferring the interpersonal interactions and comprehensive explanations provided by in-person teaching. Based on the responses, digital tools may foster autonomy and competence, but their impact on relatedness is more context-dependent and less consistent. While digital tools can be effective for extracurricular interest development, students demonstrate a preference for teachers’ personal attendance in formal school settings, especially when engrossed in a schedule of examinations.
KW - basic psychological needs
KW - Digital educational tools
KW - digital learning
KW - self-determination theory
KW - Educational science
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105010855833&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/07380569.2025.2532436
DO - 10.1080/07380569.2025.2532436
M3 - Journal articles
AN - SCOPUS:105010855833
JO - Computers in the Schools
JF - Computers in the Schools
SN - 0738-0569
ER -