Samenvatting

Teacher classroom behavior is an important factor in student learning and motivation. Past research within
higher education has primarily concentrated on identifying teaching behaviors that teachers and students deem
important in honors classrooms. Yet, what specific teaching behaviors either support or thwart the needs of
students in real-world honors classrooms is currently not clear. This study, which utilizes video observation,
sheds light on teaching behaviors that either support or thwart students’ needs, as viewed through the lens of
self-determination theory, within the context of Dutch honors education. We developed an observation tool to
analyze video recordings of 12 lessons from four different teachers, and identified the types of behaviors making
up the various dimensions of need-supportive and need-thwarting behaviors. We found nine types of behaviors
that had not previously been identified in observational studies. Structure-providing behaviors were the most
common need-supportive behavior, while need-thwarting behaviors always occurred alongside need-supportive
behaviors. The observation tool introduced here can be used for further study of teaching behaviors in honors
education practice. These results also make an important contribution to teachers’ further professionalization
and instructional practices.