The importance of promoting social relatedness during host language instruction for immigrant adolescents’ motivation, achievement and aspirations

Abstract

This study tested the motivational and achievement-related factors associated with immigrant adolescents’ high educational and occupational aspirations. Adolescents residing in Austria (457 girls; 235 first-generation, 418 second-generation and 238 2.5-generation immigrants) aged 11 to 15 years (Mage = 12.50, SDage = 1.08) participated. For all three immigrant groups, high levels of social relatedness–supportive teaching styles in German language predicted high levels of scholastic self-concept, high levels of scholastic self-concept in German language predicted high levels of achievement, and high levels of academic achievement predicted high levels of aspirations. High levels of competence supportive teaching styles predicted high levels of scholastic self-concept only among first-generation immigrants. The implications for host country language instruction of immigrant adolescents are discussed.