What need-supportive and need-thwarting teaching behaviors do university teachers use in their honors classes? An observational study

Teacher classroom behavior is an important factor in student learning and motivation. Past research within higher education has primarily concentrated on identifying teaching behaviors that teachers and students deem important in honors classrooms. Yet, what specific teaching behaviors either support or thwart the needs of students in real-world honors classrooms is currently not clear. This study, which utilizes video observation, sheds light on teaching behaviors that either support or thwart students’ needs, as viewed through the lens of self-determination theory, within the context of Dutch honors education. We developed an observation tool to analyze video recordings of 12 lessons from four different teachers, and identified the types of behaviors making up the various dimensions of need-supportive and need-thwarting behaviors. We found nine types of behaviors that had not previously been identified in observational studies. Structure-providing behaviors were the most common need-supportive behavior, while need-thwarting behaviors always occurred alongside need-supportive behaviors. The observation tool introduced here can be used for further study of teaching behaviors in honors education practice. These results also make an important contribution to teachers' further professionalization and instructional practices.