Research Article

Basic Psychological Needs Frustration in English Language Learning: Exploring the Role of Gender, Proficiency, and Failure Experiences

Volume: 16 Number: Special issue 4 - SUSTAINABILITY ON EDUCATION October 28, 2025
TR EN

Basic Psychological Needs Frustration in English Language Learning: Exploring the Role of Gender, Proficiency, and Failure Experiences

Abstract

According to Self-determination Theory, when learners feel frustrated in the core dimensions of the basic psychological needs as competence, autonomy, and relatedness, their learning motivation decreases and the language learning process fails. This study aims to examine the frustrations of university students learning English as a foreign language in Türkiye in terms of basic psychological needs according to their gender, language proficiency level and failure experiences. In line with the research objectives, criterion sampling method was adopted while determining the participants. Adopting a correlational research design, the study was conducted with data collected from 317 students studying in the English language prepratory program at a state university in Türkiye. According to the results of the research, the students’ gender and foreign language level do not have an effect in terms of frustration of basic psychological needs. However, the fact that students receive education at the same language level again due to their past failures creates a significant difference in terms of frustration of autonomy. While it was observed that the participants received the highest frustration scores from the frustration of autonomy subscale, the lowest was the frustration of relatedness. According to the results of the study, it is recommended that course content, teaching methods and instructor competencies be increased in order to increase learner autonomy, and eliminate the frustration of the basic psychological needs of English language learners.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Other Fields of Education (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Early Pub Date

October 23, 2025

Publication Date

October 28, 2025

Submission Date

April 7, 2025

Acceptance Date

April 22, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 16 Number: Special issue 4 - SUSTAINABILITY ON EDUCATION

APA
Kayır, G., & Korkmaz, H. (2025). Basic Psychological Needs Frustration in English Language Learning: Exploring the Role of Gender, Proficiency, and Failure Experiences. Batı Anadolu Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi, 16(Special issue 4 - SUSTAINABILITY ON EDUCATION), 29-44. https://doi.org/10.51460/baebd.1671163
AMA
1.Kayır G, Korkmaz H. Basic Psychological Needs Frustration in English Language Learning: Exploring the Role of Gender, Proficiency, and Failure Experiences. WAJES. 2025;16(Special issue 4 - SUSTAINABILITY ON EDUCATION):29-44. doi:10.51460/baebd.1671163
Chicago
Kayır, Gökhan, and Hüsem Korkmaz. 2025. “Basic Psychological Needs Frustration in English Language Learning: Exploring the Role of Gender, Proficiency, and Failure Experiences”. Batı Anadolu Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi 16 (Special issue 4 - SUSTAINABILITY ON EDUCATION): 29-44. https://doi.org/10.51460/baebd.1671163.
EndNote
Kayır G, Korkmaz H (October 1, 2025) Basic Psychological Needs Frustration in English Language Learning: Exploring the Role of Gender, Proficiency, and Failure Experiences. Batı Anadolu Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi 16 Special issue 4 - SUSTAINABILITY ON EDUCATION 29–44.
IEEE
[1]G. Kayır and H. Korkmaz, “Basic Psychological Needs Frustration in English Language Learning: Exploring the Role of Gender, Proficiency, and Failure Experiences”, WAJES, vol. 16, no. Special issue 4 - SUSTAINABILITY ON EDUCATION, pp. 29–44, Oct. 2025, doi: 10.51460/baebd.1671163.
ISNAD
Kayır, Gökhan - Korkmaz, Hüsem. “Basic Psychological Needs Frustration in English Language Learning: Exploring the Role of Gender, Proficiency, and Failure Experiences”. Batı Anadolu Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi 16/Special issue 4 - SUSTAINABILITY ON EDUCATION (October 1, 2025): 29-44. https://doi.org/10.51460/baebd.1671163.
JAMA
1.Kayır G, Korkmaz H. Basic Psychological Needs Frustration in English Language Learning: Exploring the Role of Gender, Proficiency, and Failure Experiences. WAJES. 2025;16:29–44.
MLA
Kayır, Gökhan, and Hüsem Korkmaz. “Basic Psychological Needs Frustration in English Language Learning: Exploring the Role of Gender, Proficiency, and Failure Experiences”. Batı Anadolu Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi, vol. 16, no. Special issue 4 - SUSTAINABILITY ON EDUCATION, Oct. 2025, pp. 29-44, doi:10.51460/baebd.1671163.
Vancouver
1.Gökhan Kayır, Hüsem Korkmaz. Basic Psychological Needs Frustration in English Language Learning: Exploring the Role of Gender, Proficiency, and Failure Experiences. WAJES. 2025 Oct. 1;16(Special issue 4 - SUSTAINABILITY ON EDUCATION):29-44. doi:10.51460/baebd.1671163