When Do Supportive Teachers Motivate Students’ Science Pursuits? Examining the Role of Students’ Ecocentric Beliefs

Teacher support is a well-established predictor of students’ academic motivation in science classes. However, less is known about how students’ personal beliefs shape their responsiveness to supportive teaching. Situated within a science curriculum addressing local environmental issues, this study investigated whether high school students’ ecocentric beliefs, reflecting environmental concern and viewing humans as interconnected with ecological systems, moderate the relationship between teacher support and students’ motivation in science classes. A total of 285 high school students (46.9% female; M age = 16.18, SD = 1.20) completed surveys both prior to and six months after the introduction of a science curriculum that highlights real-world relevance. Measures included perceptions of teacher support, ecocentric beliefs, and science class motivation (interest, importance, and utility value). Results revealed that teacher support was generally associated with increases in all three motivational outcomes over time. However, these associations varied among students: supportive teaching predicted increased motivation only for those who prioritized environmental concerns. Findings highlight the importance of value alignment in science education. Ecocentric beliefs amplified the motivational impact of supportive teaching, suggesting instruction is more effective when it resonates with students’ personal environmental concerns and underscoring the need for differentiated strategies to engage all students.