Humanistic versus Authoritarian Teachers: A Reflection on Students' Academic Motivation and Performance

This prospective study using self-determination theory was conducted to predict the students' motivation and academic performance based on their perceived teachers' humanistic vs. authoritarian orientations in the classrooms. The sample consisted of 300 students aged 14-18 years taken from different schools of Multan. The Pupil Control Behavior Scale, Intrinsic Motivation Inventory and exam scores were used to measure the perceived teachers' humanistic vs. authoritarian orientations, and students' motivation and performance respectively. The study revealed that students' intrinsic motivation and performance are significantly positively related to humanistic orientation while negatively related to authoritarian orientation of teachers. A result pertaining to gender differences implies that female students report higher intrinsic motivation and performance as compared to male students.