Relatedness does mediate participation in formal learning communities and therefore academic development and job preparation. Participation in formal learning communities is associated with a bigger sense of relatedness, which is associated with better response variable effects.

University of Rochester

Participation in a formal learning community did not have a significant effect on academic development and its effect on job preparation was barely significant. Relatedness is the best predictor of the academic development and job preparation, so SDT is probably what explains the benefits associated with cohorts.

Relatedness Accounts for Benefits from Learning Communities

Beachboard, M. R., Beachboard, J. C., Li, W., &amp; Adkison, S. R. (2011). Cohorts and Relatedness: Self-Determination Theory as an Explanation of How Learning Communities Affect Educational Outcomes. Research in Higher Education, 52(8), 853–874. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-011-9221-8 

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