Learning Environments in Contrast: How Adolescent Students Differ in their Self, Emotions, Motivation, and Learning Behavior in Teacher-Directed Learning and Student-Centered Learning Classes

The present thesis examines an individualized and student-centered learning environment based on competency matrices and contrasts it with a conventional teacher-directed learning environment. The first part of this dissertation outlines the development of the student-centered learning environment and the theoretical background of motivational development. Subsequently, three studies contrast both types of learning environments with regards to motivational variables and their interplay in order to evaluate both learning environments and to examine predictors of motivation and learning behavior. The three studies are based on a dataset of 1,153 adolescent students aged 12–18 (M = 13.97, SD = 1.37, 49% girls). Study 1 investigates whether perceived autonomy mediates the association between self-efficacy and approaches to learning across both learning environments differently. Latent mean comparisons and multigroup multilevel structural equation modeling were conducted to examine the hypotheses. The results revealed that autonomy functions as a mediator in the association between self-efficacy and approaches to learning only for students from schools with a student-centered learning environment based on competency matrices. Study 2 investigates whether competence support mediates the association between academic self-concept and achievement motivation differently for students from both learning environments. Latent mean comparisons and multigroup structural equation modeling were conducted to examine the hypotheses. The multigroup structural equation models demonstrated that perceived competence support functions as a mediator in the association between academic self-concept and achievement motivation primarily for early adolescent students from schools with the student-centered learning environment. Study 3 examines the reciprocal interplay of achievement emotions and self-determined motivation. Latent mean comparisons and autoregressive cross-lagged panel analyses were conducted to examine the hypotheses. Reciprocal association could not be supported. However, enjoyment benefited self-determined motivation only for students from the student-centered learning environment. The dissertation concludes with a summary of the results, practical implications for educational practice, and limitations of the present thesis.