Chinese Students’ Conception of Psychological Need Support and Need Frustration: A Qualitative Analysis from Self-Determination Theory Perspective

Drawing upon the theoretical framework of Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study investigates the influence of cultural context on how students interpret and respond to their teachers’ actions and classroom dynamics, which contribute to either need satisfaction or frustration. The research underscores the importance of understanding students’ subjective views to capture the students’ perspectives that are currently missing in the SDT literature. Employing an exploratory qualitative design, in-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted with 32 undergraduates and six postgraduate students from private and public universities in Zhejiang, a Chinese mainland province. The interview protocol comprised open-ended and semi-structured questions and was crafted based on relevant SDT literature and past research to elicit authentic and nuanced student experiences and perspectives. Using thematic analysis, emergent themes were identified and rigorously analyzed to provide comprehensive insights into the complexities of the Chinese cultural context. The results of this study reveal that while the three basic psychological needs hold universal significance, their interpretation and fulfillment are influenced by cultural factors specific to the Chinese context. The study’s implications for theory and practice are discussed.