Search

The present study investigated multidimensional motivation and engagement among Chinese middle school students in Australia (N = 273), Hong Kong (N = 528), and Mainland China (N = 2106; randomly selectedN = 528). Findings showed that a multidimensional model of motivation and engagement fit very well for all three groups. Multi-group invariance tests showed that the number of factors, factor loadings, factor correlations and item uniquenesses were invariant across the three groups – as were inter-correlations with a set of cognate correlates (class participation, school enjoyment, positive intentions, academic buoyancy) – hence no differences of ‘kind’. However, differences of ‘degree’ were indicated through significant mean-level effects between groups, with self-reports favouring Australian Chinese students over Hong Kong and (to a lesser extent) Mainland Chinese students. We propose these findings shed important light on Chinese students’ academic motivation and engagement and also on socio-cultural perspectives on motivation and engagement because they assist understanding about effects attributable to context and effects attributable to ethnicity. Given this, the study is a timely contribution to current understanding of the Chinese learner in this, the ‘Asian Century’. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The present study examined pedagogic components of Chinese reading literacy in a representative sample of 1164 Grades 7, 9 and 11 Chinese students (mean age of 15 years) from 11 secondary schools in Hong Kong with each student tested for about 2.5 hours. Multiple group confirmatory factor analyses showed that across the three grade levels, the eight reading literacy constructs (Essay Writing, Morphological Compounding, Correction of Characters and Words, Segmentation of Text, Text Comprehension, Copying of Characters and Words, Writing to Dictation and Reading Aloud), each subserved by multiple indicators, had differential concurrent prediction of scaled internal school performance in reading and composing. Writing–reading and their interactive effects were foremost in their predictive power, followed by performance in error correction and writing to dictation, morphological compounding, segmenting text and copying with reading aloud playing a negligible role. Our battery of tasks with some refinement could serve as a screening instrument for secondary Chinese students struggling with Chinese reading literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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]