The role of self-efficacy and connectedness in the academic success of Chinese learners

Abstract

Chinese learners have frequently demonstrated academic achievement that outshines their Western counterparts—but paradoxically research has suggested that various nurturing, teaching, and learning conditions in the Chinese context are often believed in the West to be unfavorable to learning. Against this background, the chapter revisits this paradox by drawing upon research and current theories of motivation and learning. Through a cultural lens, the authors discuss pertinent personal and social-contextual factors influencing Chinese learners’ academic success. In particular, attention is directed to learners’ self-efficacy and connectedness. The chapter offers a picture of how Chinese learners are actually nurtured and identifies some culturally sensitive notions in the research literature. The arguments here should alert researchers and practitioners to some key cultural differences when interpreting research and practice.