Autonomy Support and Academic Stress: A Relationship Mediated by Self-Regulated Learning and Mastery Goal Orientation

This study examines the relationship between autonomy support from instructors, self-regulated learning, mastery goal orientation and academic stress. College and graduate students in China (N=366) participated in this study. Mediation analysis was used to examine the relationships between the constructs. The results indicate that academic stress is a multidimensional construct with four subconstructs: pressures to perform, stress related to teacher expectation, perception of workload and stress related to academic self-perceptions. These sub-constructs were studied in relation to autonomy support, self-regulated learning, and mastery goal orientation. Direct effects of autonomy support were found on self-regulated learning and mastery goal orientation, as well as on stress related to academic self-perception. Mediation effects of self-regulated learning and mastery goal orientation were found between autonomy support and some of the subconstructs of academic stress.