Abstract

Drawing on self-determination theory, a person-centred methodology was adopted to identify distinct pupil profiles based on their psychological need satisfaction. A sample of 586 pupils (387 male, 199 female; mean age = 12.6, range 11-15 years old) from three secondary schools reported their psychological need satisfaction, and well and ill-being, with teachers rating pupil achievement. Hierarchical cluster analysis revealed five distinct profiles. Four profiles indicated synergy existed between the three needs, showing similar in-group levels of satisfaction across the needs but in varying amounts. Univariate and multivariate analyses, controlling for school and taught subject, revealed the satisfied group displayed the highest classroom performance (F4, 540 = 7.03, p < .001, ηp2 = .05), well-being (F8, 1136 = 45.63, p < .001, Wilk's Λ = 0.57, ηp2 = .24) and lowest ill-being (F8, 1134 = 23.39, p < .001; Wilk's Λ = 0.74, ηp2 = .14), whereas the dissatisfied group displayed the most averse outcomes. The findings illustrate that the three psychological needs may operate interdependently and should be considered in combination rather than in isolation. The research offers practical insights into why pupils may function differently in classrooms and could inform targeted initiatives towards pupils with psychological need satisfaction deficits.