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The study investigated cognitive and motivational effects of two educational interventions, a conventional versus a student-oriented approach. We monitored the impact on the cognitive achievement outcome and the motivation of students. Both approaches dealt with the subject of birds and bird flight; the student-oriented approach consisted of a unit based on workstations, the conventional one was taught in a more teacher-centred manner. 326 secondary school pupils of the highest stratification level participated in this study. By using a pre-, post- and retention-test design, both approaches were evaluated with the same empirical batteries (by applying a cognitive item set and the 'Intrinsic Motivation Inventory'). The conventional approach provided higher achievement scores whereas the student-oriented approach showed a higher motivational rating. Comparing the student-oriented approach with and without introduction, the group with introduction attained higher achievement scores. The results are discussed in terms of general expectations about the cognitive outcome in open learning environments and self-determination theory. Educational implications are drawn concerning the implementation of learning at workstations in school curricula.

This paper describes an empirical survey of adolescent responses to two environmental perception batteries: "Environmental Perception" (ENV) and "New Environmental Paradigm" (NEP). The first was developed by the present authors for adolescents, while the second is already well-known within environmental psychology. The present study examines both batteries applied to a sample of over 800 German pupils. Responses to both batteries were subjected to factor analyses extracting the hypothesized 8 oblique factors. Groups were ranked according to their "Care with Resources" score, and the extreme groups were identified. Differences between these groups were examined in terms of the remaining seven factor scores, confirming the hypothesis that high scorers tend to enjoy nature, to favor a balanced nature and limits to growth, and to declare their intention to support conservation. Low scorers tend to do the opposite.

This study presents a scale developed to measure two dimensions of environmental perceptions—reactions towards preservation and towards utilizing nature and/or the environment—consisting of two and three subscales, respectively. The empirical part consists of a reanalysis of data from four national samples, now analyzed together as one sample. The results of the four subsamples (of some 4,500 secondary school pupils in total) have been published elsewhere as bilateral studies. The aim of the present analysis is to identify a scale that is valid for the entire European sample: By means of factor analyses and structural equation modeling 20 items were extracted. Two latent variables, "Utilization" and "Preservation," were hypothesized and related in a causal fashion, whereby "Utilization" influences "Preservation." By application of the methods of linear structural relationships, the proposed model yields a good fit to the data.