Mindfulness and motivation in social-emotional learning: through the lens of self-determination theory

Grounded on Self-Determination Theory, this study examined the relationships between mindfulness and the social-emotional learning outcomes of basic psychological needs satisfaction, motivational regulations (autonomous and controlled), positive affect, negative affect and self-control. Employing a cross-sectional research design, the study surveyed 958 adolescent students, ages ranged from 11 to 15 years old, M_age = 13.28 years old, SD = 1.06, of whom 58.04% were female. Path analyses on the responses collected showed that mindfulness positively and significantly predicted basic psychological needs satisfaction and autonomous regulation, but not controlled regulation. Mindfulness positively and significantly predicted the social-emotional learning outcomes of positive affect and self-control, and negatively and significantly predicted negative affect. Sequential multiple-mediational analyses showed that basic psychological needs satisfaction and autonomous regulation significantly mediated the relationships between mindfulness and the social-emotional learning outcomes of positive affect, negative affect and self-control. When taken together, the findings suggest that mindfulness can foster social-emotional learning through the mechanism of nurturing basic psychological needs and promoting more autonomous regulation. The findings provide useful information for the teaching of social-emotional learning in Singapore schools.