The COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread school closures, significantly altering adolescents' learning environments and potentially impacting their motivation. The loss of peer and teacher support increased the reliance on autonomous motivation for successful engagement in schoolwork. Previous research has shown significant decreases in motivation during this period, highlighting the need to understand protective factors that could mitigate these negative effects. Adolescence is a particularly vulnerable period due to significant cognitive, emotional, and social changes. School closures disrupted the typical increase in peer interaction, potentially affecting mental health and academic motivation. Autonomous motivation, characterized by a sense of volition and choice, is crucial for academic success and well-being. This study aimed to investigate personal and family protective factors based on mindset theory and self-determination theory to understand how adolescents respond to home-based learning and identify ways to maintain their motivation during such disruptions.

Mindset theory suggests that individuals with a growth mindset (belief that abilities are malleable) tend to exhibit more adaptive strategies and resilience compared to those with a fixed mindset. Previous research indicates a positive correlation between growth mindset and autonomous motivation. Self-determination theory posits that three basic psychological needs—autonomy, relatedness, and competence—are essential for autonomous motivation. Autonomy support from parents and positive parent-child interaction are particularly relevant in home-based learning environments, influencing both autonomy and relatedness needs. Competence, reflected in self-efficacy, is also crucial for motivation and achievement, particularly when direct teacher and peer support is reduced. Existing studies have focused on negative predictors (anxiety, depression) or positive predictors (parental, peer, and teacher support) of academic motivation during the pandemic, but further research on protective factors is needed.

This study used a sample of Dutch adolescents (Mage = 14.63 years) and their parents (Mage = 48.65 years). Data were collected one month before the school closures (pre-pandemic) and three weeks after the closures began. Mindset was measured using a scale assessing growth versus fixed mindset beliefs. School burnout was measured using the School Burnout Inventory (SBI), assessing exhaustion, cynicism, and inadequacy. Self-determination theory needs were measured through perceived parental autonomy support (Parent-Child Interaction – Revised scale), self-efficacy (adapted Patterns of adaptive learning scale), and positivity of parent-adolescent interaction (parent-reported). Autonomous motivation was assessed at both time points. Stepwise linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the predictive effects of mindset, school burnout, and the basic psychological needs on changes in autonomous motivation during home-based learning, controlling for pre-pandemic motivation levels and other relevant factors (age, gender, parental education, parent gender). A mediation analysis investigated whether school burnout mediated the relationship between mindset and autonomous motivation.

The pre-pandemic level of autonomous motivation significantly predicted autonomous motivation during home-based learning (β = 0.59, p < 0.001). A growth mindset significantly and positively predicted autonomous motivation during home-based learning (β = 0.24, p = 0.020), even after controlling for pre-pandemic motivation. School burnout significantly and negatively predicted autonomous motivation (β = -0.17, p = 0.007). However, school burnout did not mediate the relationship between mindset and autonomous motivation. In the analysis based on self-determination theory, perceived parental autonomy support (β = 0.28, p = 0.019) positively predicted autonomous motivation during home-based learning, after controlling for pre-pandemic motivation levels and other factors. Mother's involvement was also positively associated with autonomous motivation. Self-efficacy and positivity of parent-adolescent interaction did not significantly predict autonomous motivation in this model.

The findings support the hypothesis that a growth mindset is a protective factor against declines in autonomous motivation during home-based learning. Adolescents with a growth mindset may exhibit greater resilience and persistence in the face of challenges associated with online learning. The positive association between perceived parental autonomy support and autonomous motivation underscores the importance of creating supportive home environments that foster adolescents’ sense of autonomy and choice. The lack of significant predictive effects of self-efficacy and positive parent-adolescent interaction might be due to the specific context of the study (initial lockdown period) or other factors not included in the model. The study highlights the interplay between personal characteristics (mindset) and environmental factors (parental support) in shaping adolescents’ motivational responses to home-based learning.

This study demonstrates the importance of growth mindset and perceived parental autonomy support in safeguarding adolescents’ autonomous motivation during home-based learning. Interventions aimed at fostering growth mindsets and promoting parental autonomy support could be beneficial in mitigating the negative impacts of future disruptions to education. Future research could explore the role of other factors, such as peer support, teacher support, and specific learning strategies, in influencing adolescent motivation during home-based learning. Longitudinal studies examining the long-term effects of home-based learning on motivation would also be valuable.

The study's cross-sectional design limits causal inferences. The sample consisted of Dutch adolescents and parents, limiting the generalizability of the findings to other cultural contexts. The focus on the initial lockdown period might limit the generalizability to other phases of the pandemic or different types of home-based learning experiences. The measures used relied on self-report, potentially subject to biases. Future studies could use more objective measures of motivation and behavior.