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Motivational Beliefs, Study Strategies, and Mathematics Attainment in High- and Low-Achieving Chinese Secondary School Students

https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1999.1003Get rights and content

Abstract

In order to examine the relationship between cognitive and motivational variables and their relationship to mathematics attainment, Hong Kong-Chinese students enrolled in schools for high-, average-, and low-achievers completed questionnaires in Year 10 and in Year 11. Low-achievers perceived academic learning as being less useful over time and reported spending less time studying in Year 10 than in Year 11 but high- and low-achievers did not differ on their use of self-regulated learning strategies. Performance on the public examination in mathematics was predicted by prior achievement and Self-Concept of Mathematics Ability. Results underscore the importance of considering cultural beliefs systems and educational systems in models of academic motivation.

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      In particular, its longstanding value of human malleability leads to a strong emphasis on effort in educational endeavors (Li, 2001; Rao, Moely, & Sachs, 2000). It stresses effort over ability as the means for educational success (Rao et al., 2000; Salili, Zhou, & Hoosain, 2003; Woodcock & Jiang, 2018) in the sense that “innate ability may determine the rate at which one acquires new knowledge, but the ultimate level of achievement is attained through effort” (Chen & Uttal, 1988, p. 354). In particular, when facing a low likelihood of success, Chinese learners are expected to mobilize and expend even more effort, as “people who attempt tasks beyond their ability are admired and commented rather than being laugh at” (Hau & Salili, 1996, p. 128).

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    This research was supported by a grant from the Committee on Research and Conference Grants of The University of Hong Kong. Thanks are expressed to Fiona Chan, Alison Lo, and Jeannie Ngan for their help in data collection and analyses, and to anonymous reviewers for their suggestions. We are also grateful to the staff and students of participating schools.

    Address correspondence and reprint requests to Nirmala Rao, Department of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. E-mail: [email protected].

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