An increasing number of German schools have suspended teacher-directed learning (TL) in favor of self-directed learning (SL) modules. We used the broaden-and-build theory and self-determination theory as a theoretical framework to determine whether students in self-directed and teacher-directed learning environments differ in the interplay of…

Fostering adolescents' self-efficacy and positive emotions through learning contexts which induce beneficial achievement goals can prevent motivational decline in adolescents. Achievement goal theory states that the learning context and gender moderate the interplay of self-efficacy, emotions, and achievement goals. This study compared female and…

Using a sample of 787 German students in 6th/7th grades (M[subscript age] = 12.9; SD = 0.70; 53.6% female) latent means of interest, flow experience, and learning strategies (elaboration, control strategies, and persistence) were compared from two contrasting learning contexts [teacher-directed learning (TDL) and making (self-directed learning)],…

Background: Based on Mayer and Salovey's model of emotional intelligence, this study examined whether perceived stress mediates the interplay of emotional intelligence and life satisfaction for girls and boys during early and middle adolescence. Methods: Using multigroup structural equation modeling with questionnaire data from a sample of Spanish…

Previous cross-national studies on social motivation among secondary students from individualistic societies such as Germany and Canada found four different motivation types (MT) varying in class size: (a) teacher-dependent MT, (b) peer-dependent MT, (c) teacher- and peer-dependent MT, and (d) teacher- and peer-independent MT. The current…

Researchers, school personnel and parents are concerned with students' academic motivation. However, research on the topic yields ambiguous results. While adolescents in Western societies report a decline in achievement drive over the school years, adolescents in some Eastern societies may avoid this negative trend. In addition to personal…

Although positive teacher-student relationships are known to aid students' academic self-regulation, the emotional aspects of teacher liking are often neglected within research. The present study used a large sample of seventh- and eighth-grade students (N = 1,088; M[subscript Age] = 13.7) in secondary schools in Germany to investigate whether the…

In order to enhance our understanding of inter-individual differences in scholastic motivation, this study examined if self-determination predicts the school engagement of four different motivation types (MT) in a large sample of adolescent students (N = 1088) from Brandenburg, Germany: (1) peer-dependent MT, (2) teacher-dependent MT, (3)…

Considering the essential role that socio-motivational relationships at school play with respect to achievement motivation, this study examined the differences between students with a low school self-concept and students with a high school self-concept in a large sample of 7th and 8th grade students (N= 1088; M[subscript Age]= 13.7) in secondary…