Student Flow and Burnout: The Role of Teacher Autonomy Support and Student Autonomous Motivation

Drawing on self-determination theory and flow theory, the purpose of the present study was to explore the relationship between perceptions of autonomy-supportive teacher behaviour, students’ autonomous motivation, academic flow, and burnout in a university setting. More specifically, we tested the mediational role of both autonomous motivation and academic flow in the relationship between perceived teachers’ behaviour (autonomy support) and student burnout. The sample consisted of 213 Croatian university students (70% female, mean age of 20 years). Four instruments were administered: the Learning Climate Questionnaire, the Self-Regulation Questionnaire—Academic Domain, the Wolf-Study Questionnaire, and the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory-S. The results of structural equation modelling indicated that students who perceived their teachers as providing more autonomy support experienced more autonomous learning motivation which, in turn, led to more frequent flow experiences in learning and subsequently to less burnout. The results are in line with both self-determination theory and flow theory, with significant practical implications suggesting that teachers should support the satisfaction of students’ needs for autonomy and facilitate students’ academic flow in order to prevent student burnout.