The present study tests the following: a) whether perceived competence support functions as a mediator in the associations between academic self-concept and achievement motivation and b) how various learning environments shape these associations. A teacher-directed learning environment (TDL) and a student-centered approach, namely competence-based learning (CBL), were contrasted using latent mean comparison and multi-group structural equation modeling with indirect effects. This study is based on a sample of German students in early and middle adolescence (N = 1,153; MAgeT1 = 13.97, SD = 1.37; MAgeT2 = 14.27, SD = 1.25) in two waves (T1 = Autumn 2015 and T2 = Spring 2016). The results of the latent mean comparison indicate that students from schools with CBL perceive a higher level of academic self-concept compared to students from TDL environments. Moreover, multigroup structural equation modeling demonstrates that perceived competence support functions as a mediator in the association between academic self-concept and achievement motivation primarily for students from schools with CBL. Findings suggest that mostly students with a low level of academic self-concept benefit from CBL because this student-centered learning environment reduces the association between academic self-concept and achievement motivation through a high level of perceived competence support.
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