Learner autonomous motivation is regarded as an important determinant of meaningful learning. Yet, facilitating autonomous motivation is a major concern for instructors of online and blended learning. Based on self-determination theory, this study aimed to investigate the relationships between higher education students’ perceived teaching presence, basic psychological need satisfaction, and autonomous motivation. In total, 466 blended learning students from three higher education institutes in the Maldives participated in the study. Data were collected using a self-reported questionnaire. The results from structural equation modeling showed that students’ perceived teaching presence influenced autonomous motivation through basic psychological need satisfaction. Additionally, the study revealed that teaching presence did not have a significant direct effect on autonomous motivation. The findings imply that teaching presence and its sub-constructs as defined in the Community of Inquiry framework can be used to provide basic psychological need supportive teaching and foster autonomous motivation in blended learning.

学习者自主动机被认为是有意义学习的重要决定因素。然而，促进自主动机是在线和混合学习教师的主要关注点。本研究基于自我决定理论，旨在探讨高等教育学生的教学存在感知、基本心理需要满足和自主动机之间的关系。来自马尔代夫三所高等教育机构的 466 名混合学习学生总共参与了这项研究。使用自我报告的问卷收集数据。结构方程模型的结果表明，学生感知的教学存在通过基本心理需求满足影响自主动机。此外，研究表明，教学存在对自主动机没有显着的直接影响。研究结果表明，探究社区框架中定义的教学存在及其子结构可用于提供基本的心理需求支持性教学并培养混合学习中的自主动机。