The role of teachers’ care and self-determined motivation in working with students in Germany and the United States

•We examine self-determined motivation in German and American middle school students.•Teachers’ care is crucial for experiencing autonomous motivation and positive learning emotions.•Teachers’ care is related to perceived students’ anxiety.

Using self-determination theory, this study examined how students’ motivation and learning emotions are related to teachers’ care. By comparing results from schools in Germany and the United States the study also examined cross-national differences. A cross-sectional study of 870 eighth grade students was conducted. Results showed that American adolescents reported more autonomous motivation, interest, domain specific self-efficacy and anxiety, and higher levels of autonomy support and teachers’ care. The study confirmed that adolescents’ perceptions of teachers’ care is related to autonomous motivation, interest and learning enjoyment. For German students, the data showed a relation between teachers’ care and anxiety. The results were discussed within the context of different cultural backgrounds, as well as differences in the organization of the school systems.