Academic motivation among urban and rural high school students in China : evidence from self-reports, classroom observations and parental interviews

Abstract

Academic motivational goals have received extensive attention given their significance in predicting academic success. Contextual factors affect academic motivational goals, but there is little research on the role of these factors in attaining these goals. Furthermore, studies have typically been conducted in Western, individualist societies. Less is known about the motivational goals of students in East Asian, collectivist and Confucian-heritage cultures. Against this background, this dissertation examined academic motivation among 11th-grade students in China in four related studies. These studies explored academic motivational goals (Study 1), the role of context in goal adoption (Studies 2 and 3), and the relation between goals and self-regulated learning (SRL) (Study 4). Study 1 discerned Chinese 11-grade students’ academic motivational goals. Twenty-eight students (age range: 15-17 years) were interviewed individually. Inductive content analyses showed these students wanted to engage in academic tasks to: 1) ensure college entrance and elevate social status; 2) achieve good scores and rankings; 3) master knowledge and develop competence; 4) please the family; and, 5) for interest. Furthermore, their responses suggested many of them viewed education as a means to an end. Study 2 considered classroom influences on students’ goals (i.e., classroom goal structures). Two 11th-grade classes, one in a developed urban area and the other in an underdeveloped rural area, were observed focusing on their physical settings and classroom activities. A further seven students and one homeroom teacher of each class were purposively selected to be interviewed for their views on classroom settings and activities. Results showed cultural values about learning and the college entrance examination shaped classroom goal structures greatly. Comparisons revealed that the rural class had a predominantly examination-oriented education system and promoted more social reasons for academic engagement, whereas the urban class did not place as great importance on examination outcomes Study 3 focused on parental academic socialization through the lens of academic motivational goals. A total of 53 parents of 11th graders were interviewed individually. Results indicated most parents reported that they were highly involved in evaluating their children’s learning, and promoted good learning habits and effort. Furthermore, parental goal emphases and their expectations of their children were pragmatic, examination-, mastery-, and socially-oriented. Many parents emphasized both mastery goals and performance goals, yet children of primarily mastery-oriented parents tended to outperform children of primarily examination-oriented parents. Study 4 explored the impacts of social-academic goals on SRL strategy use, and whether or not these impacts were mediated by academic achievement goals. Focusing on 1,002 11th graders (including 466 girls), results from structural equation modeling analysis suggested parent-oriented goals were associated with performance-avoidance goals, while social status goals were associated with both mastery and performance goals. Parent-oriented goals had both direct and indirect effect on SRL strategy use, and social status goals had an indirect influence through achievement goals. Overall, this thesis offers insights into Chinese students’ academic motivational goals, the role of context in adopting goals, and the impacts of goals on academic engagement. Findings have implications for future research and practices. (498 words)