SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS AND MOTIVATION IN MIDDLE SCHOOL - THE ROLE OF PARENTS, TEACHERS, AND PEERS

Adolescents' supportive relationships with parents, teachers, and peer s were examined in relation to motivation at school (school- and class -related interest, academic goal orientations, and social goal pursuit ). On the basis of 167 sixth-grade students, relations of perceived su pport from parents, teachers, and peers to student motivation differed depending on the source of support and motivational outcome: Peer sup port was a positive predictor of prosocial goal pursuit, teacher suppo rt was a positive predictor of both types of interest and of social re sponsibility goal pursuit, and parent support was a positive predictor of school-related interest and goal orientations. Perceived support f rom parents and peers also was related to interest in school indirectl y by way of negative relations with emotional distress. Pursuit of soc ial responsibility goals and school- and class-related interest in 6th grade partly explained positive relations between social support in 6 th grade and classroom grades 1 year later Continued research on the s ocial origins of classroom motivation in early adolescence is needed.