Lu Haidong

The classroom serves as a vital setting for students' learning and development, with classmates being the individuals they interact with most frequently. Compared to subject teachers, homeroom teachers typically have a more comprehensive and lasting impact on students. However, much of the existing research has focused on the influence of subject teachers on students’ academic motivation, with less attention to how homeroom teachers and classmates together shape motivation within the classroom environment. To address this gap, the present study draws on Self-Determination Theory and Ecosystem Theory to explore the relationships between homeroom teacher support, classmate support, basic psychological need satisfaction, and academic motivation among high school students. Following the acquisition of informed consent from school administrators, homeroom teachers, all participants, and their parents, the survey was administered in January 2024. The initial sample comprised 1,843 11th graders from Chinese public high schools. After data screening, 1,700 valid questionnaires (92.2% response rate) constituted the final analytic sample. Due to China's nationally uniform school entry age policy, participants' ages were highly homogeneous (approximately 16 years old). Data analysis was conducted in three steps. First, descriptive statistics and correlation analyses were performed using SPSS 26.0. Second, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) were conducted with Mplus 8.3. Finally, the bootstrap method with 1,000 samples was employed to determine the 95% confidence intervals for the mediation effects. Path analyses revealed differentiated mediating roles of basic psychological needs. Autonomy and competence satisfaction mediated the relationship directly. In contrast, relatedness satisfaction only emerged as a significant mediator within a serial pathway: homeroom teacher support enhanced classmate support, which in turn increased relatedness satisfaction, ultimately predicting higher external and identified regulation. This serial mediation pathway (homeroom teacher → classmate support → basic needs satisfaction) accounted for the majority (50–79%) of homeroom teachers' total effect on all motivation types. The findings expand the situational application of Basic Psychological Needs Theory by demonstrating that the fulfillment of relatedness in classrooms is contingent on peer dynamics facilitated by the homeroom teacher. This highlights the homeroom teacher's dual role as a direct need supporter and an architect of the peer social environment, offering a powerful leverage point for enhancing student motivation through classroom management. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40359-026-04414-8.

Purpose: Academic adjustment is essential for the academic success of higher vocational college students. Although previous research has explored the role of perceived peer support in the academic adjustment of general undergraduate students, its role and underlying mechanisms in this group remain unclear. This study aims to explore the relationship between perceived peer support and academic adjustment, focusing on the chain mediating roles of academic hope and professional identity.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 9,075 students from 35 higher vocational colleges across 15 provinces and cities in China, using multi-stage stratified random sampling. Validated scales were used to measure perceived peer support, academic adjustment, academic hope, and professional identity.Results: The findings revealed that perceived peer support not only directly influences academic adjustment but also exerts an indirect effect through the individual mediation of academic hope and professional identity, as well as through the sequential mediation from academic hope to professional identity.Conclusion: Perceived peer support, academic hope, and professional identity significantly promote academic adjustment among higher vocational college students. These findings provide theoretical insights into the mechanisms of academic adjustment and offer practical implications for educational strategies, emphasizing the importance of fostering perceived peer support, academic hope, and professional identity to enhance students’ academic success.

Enhancing the career adaptability of university students is a practical necessity for addressing the challenge of student employment. This study explores the relationship between basic psychological needs satisfaction and career adaptability among university students based on Basic Psychological Need Theory and Social Cognitive Career Theory and constructs a corresponding chain mediation model. A survey was conducted among 635 university students from six provinces across China. The results indicate the following findings: (1) grit partially mediates the relationship between basic psychological needs satisfaction and career adaptability among university students; (2) career decision-making self-efficacy also partially mediates this relationship; and (3) grit and career decision-making self-efficacy serve as chain mediators in the relationship between basic psychological needs satisfaction and career adaptability. This study provides empirical support and significant guidance for enhancing the career adaptability development of university students.

Perceived peer support is a critical factor in the academic adjustment of higher vocational college students. While previous studies have explored this relationship, few studies have delved into the underlying mechanisms. This study surveyed 9782 students from 35 higher vocational colleges in 13 provinces and cities in China to explore the relationship and mechanisms between perceived peer support and academic adjustment. Drawing on Conservation of Resources theory and Social Support Resource theory, the findings revealed that perceived peer support not only directly predicted the academic adjustment of higher vocational college students, but also indirectly through the independent mediating effect of academic hope and professional identity, as well as the chain-mediating effect of academic hope to professional identity. Additionally, students from vocational high schools showed a more significant increase in academic hope due to perceived peer support compared to those from general high schools, highlighting the moderating effect of educational background. The study provided a new theoretical perspective for understanding the complex mechanisms of academic adjustment in students and offers valuable guidance for educational practice, emphasizing the importance of fostering perceived peer support, academic hope, and professional identity in higher vocational education.