Asian students in Australia: sources of the academic self

Abstract

Students' motivation is known to be influenced by both internally referenced and externally referenced factors. Internally referenced factors include self-processes (sense of competence and affect), whereas externally referenced factors include significant others (parents, peers and teachers). Using the Facilitating Conditions Questionnaire, the relations of the internal and external factors were examined. By comparing Anglo and Asian origin students in Australia, the study aims to reveal the most prominent external factors that contribute to shaping the self-processes of Asian students (88 male and 110 female) and Anglo students (384 male; 345 female). Confirmatory factor analysis identified seven factors (competence, affect, parent, peer positive, peer negative, teacher and motivation for high marks). The relations between internal and external factors were found to be similar between ethnic and gender subsamples. Parents and teachers were identified as having the strongest impact on self-processes and motivation for high marks. For this sample of students in an Australian education system, their sources of school-related self-processes are similar to those of their Anglo peers', but their higher affect to learning may be an important cause for academic success.

Parent and teacher warm involvement and student’s academic engagement: The mediating role of self‐system processes

“…As expected, relatedness was a mediator of the unique contributions of involvement from both partners, suggesting that the supports of parents and teachers are cumulative – each social partner provides support that the other cannot, and both fuel improvements in students’ engagement via this pathway (Guay, Denault, et al., 2017). Consistent with some studies of older students (e.g., Ganotice & King, 2014; Guay, Denault, et al., 2017; McInerney, 2008; Murdock & Miller, 2003; Murray, 2009; Navarro et al., 2007; Sahil & Hashim, 2011; Yeung et al., 2014), parent involvement seemed to take the lead in shaping their offspring’s sense of competence, whereas teacher support played the primary role in nurturing students’ autonomy. Taken together, study results provide a more holistic understanding of how interpersonal relationships may optimize student engagement.…”

“…However, research with older students was mixed. Of the 10 studies examining this question during late middle or high school (Chouinard, Karsenti, & Roy, 2007; Fall & Roberts, 2012; Fan, Lindt, Arroyo‐Giner, & Wolters, 2009; Galand & Hospel, 2012; Murdock & Miller, 2003; Murray, 2009; Navarro, Flores, & Worthington, 2007; Pan, Zaff, & Donlan, 2017; Sahil & Hashim, 2011; Yeung, McInerney, & Ali, 2014), all found that parents made a unique contribution over and above the support of teachers, but only six indicated that teachers also made unique contributions.…”

Achievement goal profiles among adolescent males and females.

“…Predictors (Time 1). Predictors were assessed using the Facilitating Conditions Questionnaire (McInerney et al, 2005;Yeung, McInerney, & Ali, 2014). This instrument measures seven dimensions: (a) school valuing (four items, ␣ ϭ .764; e.g., "Doing well at school is really important to my future"), affect toward school (three items, ␣ ϭ .656; e.g., "The subjects at school interest me"), positive influence by peers (four items, ␣ ϭ .617; e.g., "Most of my friends want to do well at school"), negative influence by peers (three items, ␣ ϭ .866; e.g., "My friends say I should leave school as soon as possible"), support from parents (four items, ␣ ϭ .786; e.g., "If I decided to go on to college or university, my father would encourage me"), negative influence by parents (four items, ␣ ϭ .902; e.g., "My mother encourages me to leave school as soon as possible"), and support from teachers (three items, ␣ ϭ .650; e.g., "I get encouragement from some of my teachers to do well at school").…”