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The big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE), the negative effect of school-/class-average achievement on academic self-concept, is one of educational psychology's most universal findings. However, critiques of this research have proposed moderators based on achievement motivation theories. Nevertheless, because these motivational theories are not sufficiently well-developed to provide unambiguous predictions concerning moderation of the BFLPE and underlying social comparison processes, we developed a Theory-Integrating Approach; bringing together a panel of experts, independently making theoretical predictions, revising the predictions over several rounds based on independent feedback from the other experts, and a summary of results. We pit a priori hypotheses derived from achievement motivation theories against the more parsimonious a priori prediction that there is no moderation based on previous BFLPE empirical research and Darwinian-economic theory (N = 1,925 Hong Kong students, 47 classes, M age = 12 years). Consistent with both BFLPE research and Darwinian perspectives, but in contrast to achievement motivation theory predictions, the highly significant BFLPE was not moderated by any of the following: prior achievement, expectancy-value theory variables, achievement goals, implicit theories of ability, self-regulated learning strategies, and social interdependence theory measures. Although we cannot "prove" that there are no student-level moderators of the BFLPE, our synthesis of social comparison posited in the BFLPE theory and an evolutionary perspective support BFLPE's generalizability. We propose further integration of our Theory-Integrating Approach with traditional Delphi methods, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches to develop a priori theoretical predictions and identify limitations in existing theory as an alternative form of systematic review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study explored motivation and engagement among Chinese and Australian school students. Based on a sample of 528 Hong Kong Chinese 12-13 year olds and an archive sample of 6,366 Australian 12-13 year olds, achievement motivation was assessed using the Motivation and Engagement Scale-High School (MES-HS). Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling using LISREL found that, across Chinese and Australian students, there was similar factor structure, reliability, correlations with educational outcomes, and gender and age effects—suggesting there are no fundamental differences of kind between the two cultures. There were, however, differences of degree in that Australian students reported significantly higher levels of adaptive achievement motivation and significantly lower levels of maladaptive achievement motivation. It is concluded that although Australian students have higher levels of reported achievement motivation than Chinese students on a number of dimensions, the two groups' fundamental orientation does not appear to be markedly different in terms of motivation structure, profile, and relationships. This holds implications for cross-cultural motivation assessment, data analysis, and programmatic intervention aimed at enhancing (and sustaining) students' achievement motivation in different cultural and national contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author presents his view on the research on Asian students' achievement motivation. He states that the study of achievement motivation in different cultural groups has been of great interest to researchers. He points out that the importance of such research is that discoveries of similarities and differences in the application of existing theories in different cultures provide the chance to revise, accommodate and expand those theories so that they could become better and more comprehensive.

Previous studies have suggested that Western constructs of academic motivation may operate in different ways in Asian contexts due to differences in the cultural environment. In the present study, the integrative effects of achievement goals, strategy orientations, and effort expenditure on achievement outcomes were examined among 1950 seventh-grade Chinese students in Hong Kong. Participants completed separate questionnaires for mathematics and English. Results for the two subjects were largely similar. There were significant positive relationships between mastery and performance goals, between cooperative and competitive orientations, as well as between understanding and memorizing strategies. Regression analyses further revealed that goals and strategies were highly predictive of effort expenditure, but only goals and effort significantly predicted achievement outcome, with strategies being barely significant. The need to further investigate how Chinese students reconcile the apparently antithetical orientations in learning as well as the effective strategies contributing to their learning is indicated. Les etudes anterieures ont suggere que les construits occidentaux de la motivation academique peuvent fonctionner de differentes facons dans les contextes asiatiques a cause de differences dans l'environnement culturel. Dans la presente etude, les effets integratifs des buts d'accomplissement, des orientations strategiques et de l'effort fourni sur les resultats d'accomplissement ont ete examines chez 1950 etudiants chinois de niveau 7 a Hong Kong. Les participants ont complete des questionnaires separes pour les mathematiques et l'anglais. Les resultats pour ces deux matieres etaient largement similaires. Il y avait des relations positives significatives entre les buts de maitrise et de performance, entre les orientations de cooperation et de competition, tout comme entre les strategies de comprehension et de memorisation. De plus, des analyses de regression ont revele que les buts et les strategies etaient fortement predictifs de l'effort fourni, mais seulement les buts et l'effort predisait significativement le resultat d'accomplissement, avec les strategies etant tout juste significatives. Le besoin d'etudier davantage la facon dont les etudiants chinois concilient les orientations apparemment antithetiques dans l'apprentissage tout comme les strategies efficaces contribuant a leur apprentissage est souligne. Estudios previos han sugerido que los constructos occidentales respecto de la motivacion academica pueden operar de modo distinto en contextos asiaticos debido a las diferencias en el contexto cultural. En el presente estudio se examinaron en 1950 escolares chinos del 7 Grado en Hong Kong los efectos integradores de las metas de logro, las estrategias de orientacion y el esfuerzo invertido en relacion al resultado final. Los participantes completaron de manera separada cuestionarios de matematica y de ingles. Los resultados de estas dos pruebas fueron muy parecidos. Se observo una relacion positiva y significativa entre dominio y rendimiento; entre orientaciones cooperativas y competitivas, asi como entre estrategias de comprension y de memorizacion. Analisis de regresion revelaron adicionalmente que las metas y las estrategias fueron altamente predictivas del esfuerzo invertido, pero solamente las metas y el esfuerzo predijeron de manera significativa las respuestas de logro, mientras que las estrategias eran apenas significativas. En este estudio se enfatiza la necesidad de investigaciones adicionales respecto del modo como estudiantes chinos reconcilian orientaciones aparentemente contrarias en el aprendizaje, asi como de las estrategias efectivas que contribuyen a su aprendizaje. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To motivate students, intrinsic interest is generally preferred over the instrumental values (useful for future study/work) of the tasks. Such general principles could be complicated by the differential work-related values and attitudes across cultures. Understanding and applying the appropriate motivational systems in congruence with students' cultural beliefs is important. Using self-determination theory, we examined the possible differential importance (and other complicated interactions) of motivational factors in representative student samples from 19 countries and economies in two cohorts of large-scale international surveys (in total 188,481 students in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study [TIMSS], 2015 and 2019). Results showed that emphasizing task instrumental values helped academic performance for students with a low intrinsic interest in collectivistic cultures. In contrast, stressing instrumental values did not help low-interest students in individualistic cultures. Notably, intrinsic motivation facilitates academic performance universally in all cultures. • Low-intrinsic collectivist students will benefit from instrumental motivation. • Only intrinsic motivation was positively influential for individualistic students. • A cultural interactive model is supported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]