Perceived autonomy support as a predictor of rural students’ academic buoyancy and academic self-efficacy

Students' academic self-beliefs are associated with their school achievement and enjoyment. However, academic self-beliefs appear to be lower in rural schools. In a sample of students in Australian rural schools (N = 974), this study investigated whether perceived autonomy support (PAS) predicted two important self-belief constructs: academic buoyancy and academic self-efficacy. The results revealed that PAS positively predicted academic buoyancy and academic self-efficacy. Multigroup structural equation modeling further identified that primary school students reported more adaptive school experiences than high school students. This research has implications for how teachers can best support students' academic self-beliefs in rural schools.