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The Role of Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction in Finnish Vocational Students' School Burnout and Dropout Intentions

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Title: The Role of Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction in Finnish Vocational Students' School Burnout and Dropout Intentions
Language: English
Authors: Laura Pylväs, Petri Nokelainen
Source: International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training. 2025 12(2):236-265.
Availability: European Educational Research Association / European Research Network Vocational Education and Training.Am Fallturm 1, Bremen, 28359, Germany. Tel: +49-421-218-66336; Fax: +49-421-218-98-66336; e-mail: ijrvet@uni-bremen.de; Web site: http://www.ijrvet.net
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 30
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Descriptors: Career and Technical Education, Student Satisfaction, Personal Autonomy, Competence, Interpersonal Relationship, Burnout, Potential Dropouts, Student Needs, Mental Health, Foreign Countries, Secondary Education, Motivation, Intention, Student Attitudes
Geographic Terms: Finland
ISSN: 2197-8638
2197-8646
Abstract: Purpose: This study examined how vocational education and training (VET) students' satisfaction of basic psychological needs in VET learning environments, namely autonomy, competence, and relatedness, is related to their burnout and intention to leave VET. SelfDetermination Theory was employed in the study. The aim of the study was to contribute to the existing body of empirical knowledge on basic psychological needs in educational contexts, with a particular focus on their role in negative processes. The findings may assist in evaluating the potential of basic psychological needs support in enhancing student motivation and well-being in VET learning environments. Methods: Cross-sectional online survey data were collected in 2023 from 255 students at a large vocational institution in Finland. The questionnaire included the following factors from three validated scales: Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction - Work Domain (BPNS-WD; "autonomy", "competence", "relatedness"), School Burnout Inventory (SBI; "exhaustion", "cynicism"), and dropout intentions. Data were analysed in R using correlation analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling. Results: The results indicated that the factors of basic psychological needs were negatively associated with the two burnout factors and the factor of dropout intentions, confirming our hypotheses. However, the hypotheses were only partially confirmed as not all associations reached statistical significance. Contrary to our hypothesis, relatedness satisfaction was positively related to burnout cynicism, although the relationship was not statistically significant. Conclusions: The findings suggest that supporting the basic psychological needs of VET students may reduce school burnout and the intention to drop out of school. Nevertheless, further research is required at the institutional and workplace levels to investigate the potential influence of perceived social relatedness on the development of burnout cynicism, and vice versa. Furthermore, the results indicated that female students, as well as those with older age or less work experience, experienced more burnout exhaustion than other respondents. A more comprehensive analysis is needed to gain better understanding of the factors that increase exhaustion within these groups of students.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1470299
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
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  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=EJ1470299
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  Data: The Role of Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction in Finnish Vocational Students' School Burnout and Dropout Intentions
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Laura+Pylväs%22">Laura Pylväs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Petri+Nokelainen%22">Petri Nokelainen</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22International+Journal+for+Research+in+Vocational+Education+and+Training%22"><i>International Journal for Research in Vocational Education and Training</i></searchLink>. 2025 12(2):236-265.
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  Label: Availability
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  Data: European Educational Research Association / European Research Network Vocational Education and Training.Am Fallturm 1, Bremen, 28359, Germany. Tel: +49-421-218-66336; Fax: +49-421-218-98-66336; e-mail: ijrvet@uni-bremen.de; Web site: http://www.ijrvet.net
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  Data: 30
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Career+and+Technical+Education%22">Career and Technical Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Satisfaction%22">Student Satisfaction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Personal+Autonomy%22">Personal Autonomy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Competence%22">Competence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interpersonal+Relationship%22">Interpersonal Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Burnout%22">Burnout</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Potential+Dropouts%22">Potential Dropouts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Needs%22">Student Needs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mental+Health%22">Mental Health</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Secondary+Education%22">Secondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Motivation%22">Motivation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Intention%22">Intention</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Attitudes%22">Student Attitudes</searchLink>
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  Label: Geographic Terms
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Finland%22">Finland</searchLink>
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 2197-8638<br />2197-8646
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Purpose: This study examined how vocational education and training (VET) students' satisfaction of basic psychological needs in VET learning environments, namely autonomy, competence, and relatedness, is related to their burnout and intention to leave VET. SelfDetermination Theory was employed in the study. The aim of the study was to contribute to the existing body of empirical knowledge on basic psychological needs in educational contexts, with a particular focus on their role in negative processes. The findings may assist in evaluating the potential of basic psychological needs support in enhancing student motivation and well-being in VET learning environments. Methods: Cross-sectional online survey data were collected in 2023 from 255 students at a large vocational institution in Finland. The questionnaire included the following factors from three validated scales: Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction - Work Domain (BPNS-WD; "autonomy", "competence", "relatedness"), School Burnout Inventory (SBI; "exhaustion", "cynicism"), and dropout intentions. Data were analysed in R using correlation analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling. Results: The results indicated that the factors of basic psychological needs were negatively associated with the two burnout factors and the factor of dropout intentions, confirming our hypotheses. However, the hypotheses were only partially confirmed as not all associations reached statistical significance. Contrary to our hypothesis, relatedness satisfaction was positively related to burnout cynicism, although the relationship was not statistically significant. Conclusions: The findings suggest that supporting the basic psychological needs of VET students may reduce school burnout and the intention to drop out of school. Nevertheless, further research is required at the institutional and workplace levels to investigate the potential influence of perceived social relatedness on the development of burnout cynicism, and vice versa. Furthermore, the results indicated that female students, as well as those with older age or less work experience, experienced more burnout exhaustion than other respondents. A more comprehensive analysis is needed to gain better understanding of the factors that increase exhaustion within these groups of students.
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  Data: 2025
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  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1470299
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1470299
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    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 30
        StartPage: 236
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Career and Technical Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Satisfaction
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Personal Autonomy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Competence
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Interpersonal Relationship
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      – SubjectFull: Burnout
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      – SubjectFull: Potential Dropouts
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      – SubjectFull: Student Needs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mental Health
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      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
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      – SubjectFull: Secondary Education
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      – SubjectFull: Motivation
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      – SubjectFull: Intention
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      – SubjectFull: Student Attitudes
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      – SubjectFull: Finland
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      – TitleFull: The Role of Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction in Finnish Vocational Students' School Burnout and Dropout Intentions
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