Motivational relations with peers and teachers among German and Turkish adolescents: A cross-cultural perspective

Universally, both peers and teachers play an important role in fostering students' well-being, school engagement and their academic motivation, thereby contributing to students' academic success. Simultaneously interpersonal relations (Chiu & Chow, 2010; Yildirim, 2012) as well as possible achievement motives (Maehr, 1974), marked by collectivism or individualism, are deeply rooted in social structures (Hofstede, 1986). However, the specific differences in school contexts across cultures remain poorly investigated. To close this gap, the current study uses the Relationship and Motivation scale devised by Raufelder, Jagenow, Drury, Hoferichter and Bukowski (2013) to explore potential differences between German and Turkish adolescents in their socio-motivational relations with peers and teachers. The results of intercultural comparison suggest that while Turkish adolescents tend to be motivated through relations with both peers and teachers, German adolescents reveal more individual learning behavior. This finding illustrates that peers and teachers have different effects on students' academic motivation in different cultures, suggesting important practical implications for modern intercultural societies.