Students’ Psychological Needs and Satisfaction with Their Academic Studies: The Mediating Role of the Perceived Quality of Higher Education Institutions

This research aimed to investigate the relationship between students’ perceptions of the quality of different aspects of higher education institutions, satisfaction of their psychological needs, and satisfaction with their studies at the higher education institution in question. This research involv...

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Main Authors: Ivana Jadrić, Morana Koludrović, Ina Reić Ercegovac
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Social Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/4/237
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author Ivana Jadrić
Morana Koludrović
Ina Reić Ercegovac
author_facet Ivana Jadrić
Morana Koludrović
Ina Reić Ercegovac
author_sort Ivana Jadrić
collection DOAJ
description This research aimed to investigate the relationship between students’ perceptions of the quality of different aspects of higher education institutions, satisfaction of their psychological needs, and satisfaction with their studies at the higher education institution in question. This research involved 404 students of humanities, social sciences, and interdisciplinary studies. A Croatian version of the HedPERF Scale was used to examine the perceived level of quality of the higher education institution and the Basic Psychological Needs in the Academic Context Scale to check if students’ basic psychological needs were satisfied in the academic context. The obtained results suggest that satisfying students’ psychological needs at higher education institutions is important for their overall satisfaction with their academic studies but also that this relationship is mediated by the perceived quality of different aspects of the higher education institution in question, at least when it comes to the needs for autonomy and relatedness. A positive connection was also confirmed between satisfaction of students’ psychological needs and perceived level of quality, and the perceived level of quality of and satisfaction with academic studies. The research results confirm the importance of investing in the quality of higher education institutions, in different aspects, to improve students’ well-being and satisfaction with their academic experience, which in turn will positively affect their academic outcomes.
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spelling doaj-art-33fae3e881c04a459a31a369f8a4bb642025-08-20T03:13:32ZengMDPI AGSocial Sciences2076-07602025-04-0114423710.3390/socsci14040237Students’ Psychological Needs and Satisfaction with Their Academic Studies: The Mediating Role of the Perceived Quality of Higher Education InstitutionsIvana Jadrić0Morana Koludrović1Ina Reić Ercegovac2Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Split, 21000 Split, CroatiaFaculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Split, 21000 Split, CroatiaFaculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Split, 21000 Split, CroatiaThis research aimed to investigate the relationship between students’ perceptions of the quality of different aspects of higher education institutions, satisfaction of their psychological needs, and satisfaction with their studies at the higher education institution in question. This research involved 404 students of humanities, social sciences, and interdisciplinary studies. A Croatian version of the HedPERF Scale was used to examine the perceived level of quality of the higher education institution and the Basic Psychological Needs in the Academic Context Scale to check if students’ basic psychological needs were satisfied in the academic context. The obtained results suggest that satisfying students’ psychological needs at higher education institutions is important for their overall satisfaction with their academic studies but also that this relationship is mediated by the perceived quality of different aspects of the higher education institution in question, at least when it comes to the needs for autonomy and relatedness. A positive connection was also confirmed between satisfaction of students’ psychological needs and perceived level of quality, and the perceived level of quality of and satisfaction with academic studies. The research results confirm the importance of investing in the quality of higher education institutions, in different aspects, to improve students’ well-being and satisfaction with their academic experience, which in turn will positively affect their academic outcomes.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/4/237quality of higher education institutionsatisfaction with academic studiespsychological needs
spellingShingle Ivana Jadrić
Morana Koludrović
Ina Reić Ercegovac
Students’ Psychological Needs and Satisfaction with Their Academic Studies: The Mediating Role of the Perceived Quality of Higher Education Institutions
Social Sciences
quality of higher education institution
satisfaction with academic studies
psychological needs
title Students’ Psychological Needs and Satisfaction with Their Academic Studies: The Mediating Role of the Perceived Quality of Higher Education Institutions
title_full Students’ Psychological Needs and Satisfaction with Their Academic Studies: The Mediating Role of the Perceived Quality of Higher Education Institutions
title_fullStr Students’ Psychological Needs and Satisfaction with Their Academic Studies: The Mediating Role of the Perceived Quality of Higher Education Institutions
title_full_unstemmed Students’ Psychological Needs and Satisfaction with Their Academic Studies: The Mediating Role of the Perceived Quality of Higher Education Institutions
title_short Students’ Psychological Needs and Satisfaction with Their Academic Studies: The Mediating Role of the Perceived Quality of Higher Education Institutions
title_sort students psychological needs and satisfaction with their academic studies the mediating role of the perceived quality of higher education institutions
topic quality of higher education institution
satisfaction with academic studies
psychological needs
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/4/237
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AT inareicercegovac studentspsychologicalneedsandsatisfactionwiththeiracademicstudiesthemediatingroleoftheperceivedqualityofhighereducationinstitutions