Abstract
An increasing number of German schools have suspended teacher-directed learning (TL) in favor of self-directed learning (SL) modules. We used the broaden-and-build theory and self-determination theory as a theoretical framework to determine whether students in self-directed and teacher-directed learning environments differ in the interplay of positive emotions and learning strategies of students in secondary education. The study also compares the mediating role of autonomy support on the relationship between positive emotions and learning strategies. Questionnaire data from 787 German secondary school students in the sixth and seventh grades were analyzed. The results of the latent mean comparison indicated that students in the self-directed learning environment demonstrated more adaptive learning behaviors. Further, a multigroup structural equation model identified strong differences in the interplay of the variables between students in the self-directed and teacher-directed learning environments. In the teacher-directed learning environment, autonomy support was not found to mediate the relationship between positive emotions and learning strategies.
Highlights
Students’ positive emotions are an essential element of successful learning in school because they are directly related to learning strategies and performance (Harley et al, 2019; Pekrun et al, 2017)
The relationships between learning environment, positive emotions and learning strategies are becoming increasingly important as many schools choose to enrich regular instruction with inquiry-based learning weeks that align with the principles of a self-directed learning environment
Based on the broadenand-build theory (Fredrickson, 1998, 2001), the objective of this study was to investigate the interplay of positive emotions and learning strategies among early adolescent students
Summary
Students’ positive emotions are an essential element of successful learning in school because they are directly related to learning strategies and performance (Harley et al, 2019; Pekrun et al, 2017). The link between positive emotions and learning strategies is aligned with Fredrickson’s broaden-and-build theory (), which states that positive emotions enable individuals to develop new patterns of thinking and behavior. These patterns of thought and behavior contribute to students’ development of learning strategies (Fredrickson, 2013). Few studies have investigated the effects of regular instruction compared with self-directed learning (De Brabander et al, 2009). To fill this gap, this study involved analyzing the relationships between positive emotions, autonomy support and learning strategies. The study’s pronounced attention to learning environments is intended to deepen understanding about the learning environment’s potential to act as a motivational driver of students’ cognition in secondary schools
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