Effect of negative peer climate on the development of autonomous motivation in mathematics

• On average, autonomous motivation in mathematics decreased over a period of two years in early adolescence.
• Strong negative peer climate was associated with a strong decline in autonomous motivation.
• Autonomous motivation did not decline when negative peer climate was weak in early adolescence.

Founded on Self-Determination Theory, the present study examines the effect of negative peer climate on changes in domain-specific autonomous motivation in mathematics. Based on a three-wave longitudinal sample of 1082 secondary school students in Germany, multi-level latent growth curve analyses indicated a negative effect of classroom-specific negative peer climate on the development of autonomous motivation in mathematics, even after controlling for marks, gender and grade-level. Classrooms characterized by a weak negative peer climate buffered against declines in autonomous motivation in mathematics. The results are discussed in terms of the differentiated influences of an individually or collectively perceived negative peer climate in the domain of mathematics.