Uncovering the moderating role of grit and gender in the association between teacher autonomy support and social competence among Chinese undergraduate students

Abstract

Does teacher autonomy support significantly facilitate the social competence of undergraduate students in a collective cultural context? Does this study association vary by individual characteristics, such as grit and students’ gender? To answer these research questions, we examine the association between teacher autonomy support and social competence. Moreover, we ascertain whether two dimensions of grit (perseverance and consistency) and/or gender may moderate this association. A convenience sample of 1009 Chinese undergraduate students (Mage = 20.66; SD = 1.30, 47.4% female) was involved in this study, and they were asked to complete a set of self-report questionnaires online. Results of linear regression analyses revealed that (a) teacher autonomy support was positively associated with social competence, and (b) when reporting higher levels of consistency, this association was significantly positive for both males and females; by contrast, when reporting lower levels of consistency, this association was only significant for males but not for females. The current study indicates the beneficial role of teacher autonomy support in undergraduate students’ social competence in a collective cultural context. Furthermore, university-based intervention or prevention programs should focus on facilitating teacher autonomy support for all students; it is noteworthy that, for female students, enhancing consistency should also be incorporated into these programs.