The present study explores the effect of teachers' authentic leadership in second chance programmes on students' psychological need satisfaction climate (according to self-determination theory), and the manner in which teachers' gender moderates this effect. Data collected from 60 teachers and 183 students in second chance programmes in Israel were analysed at the group level. The study found that for male teachers, authentic leadership negatively predicted psychological need satisfaction climate in the classroom. The implications of findings for authentic leadership in general and for teaching in second chance programmes are discussed.