This study's aim was to investigate whether self-determined behaviour and achievement motivation impact learner's academic performance. Convenient geographic sampling was used to select three pnmary schools in Soshanguve. A likert type questionnaire was used to collect data from 120 learners. Item analyses were preformed to investigate the reliability of subscales. Three hypotheses were tested using analysis of variance and Pearson product moment correlations. The first, which predicted that intrinsic motivation is positively related to academic achievement, was not supported. Both intrinsically and extrinsically motivated learners achieved better in academic tasks than amotivated learners. The second, which predicted a negative correlation between extrinsic motivation extrinsic motivation and academic performance, was also not supported. The third, which predicted that there is a negative correlation between amotivation and academic performance, was confirmed. General conclusions, recommendations, and limitations of the study are discussed. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

This study's aim was to investigate whether self-determined behaviour and achievement motivation impact learner's academic performance. Convenient geographic sampling was used to select three pnmary schools in Soshanguve. A likert type questionnaire was used to collect data from 120 learners. Item analyses were preformed to investigate the reliability of subscales. Three hypotheses were tested using analysis of variance and Pearson product moment correlations. The first, which predicted that intrinsic motivation is positively related to academic achievement, was not supported. Both intrinsically and extrinsically motivated learners achieved better in academic tasks than amotivated learners. The second, which predicted a negative correlation between extrinsic motivation extrinsic motivation and academic performance, was also not supported. The third, which predicted that there is a negative correlation between amotivation and academic performance, was confirmed. General conclusions, recommendations, and limitations of the study are discussed. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

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The academic achievement gap in the State of California has been a persistent problem. In California the achievement gap is defined as the disparity between the academic performance of white students and other ethnic groups as well as that between English learners and native English speakers, socioeconomically disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students, and students with disabilities as compared with students without disabilities (CDE, P-16, 2008, p. 11). Jack O'Connel, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, has identified closing the achievement gap as one of the primary goals for the State of California. Research has consistently shown that children of color and children of poverty have not experienced the academic success of their white peers. Utilizing the meta-analysis of research data from Mid-continent Research for Educational Learning (McREL), this study is a quantitative review of the 21 Leadership Responsibilities and Best Practices identified by school leaders from Ceres Unified School District, more specifically, from leaders in nine high-achieving schools within the district. The nine identified schools and leaders have experienced academic success with children of color and children of poverty based on their Academic Performance Index Similar Schools Rankings. In the study, two levels of surveys were conducted. The first survey reviewed the leadership responsibilities identified by McREL and asked the study participants to rank the leadership responsibilities based on the responsibilities that they perceive to have the most significant impact on student academic achievement. Employing the results of the first survey, a second survey utilized the top five leadership responsibilities identified by the study participants. Under the umbrella of the top five responsibilities, five best practices were listed and again ranked by the participants based on their perceptions of the leadership practices that have the greatest effect on increasing student achievement. The results of this survey identified the best practices perceived by leaders of high-achieving, high poverty schools. Additionally, a questionnaire was completed by the participants to provide additional demographic data. The study results support the findings that best pedagogical practices are complimented by effective leadership. Effective leaders and leadership practices do have a positive effect on student academic achievement.

The aim of this investigation is to determine the influence of pupils' perception on their academic achievement. The literature review indicated that sensation and perception are separate but unitary processes. It was also discovered that academic achievement is influenced by the perception of several factors pertaining both to the pupil himself as well as those responsible for his academic growth. There was conclusive evidence from both the literature and empirical investigation that perception influences academic achievement. Results from the empirical study confirm that pupils with negative perceptions achieve poor academic results and those with positive perceptions achieve good academic results. It has also been found that there is no difference in the overall perceptions of pupils in standards 6,7,8,9 and 10. There was a significant difference in the perceptions of boys and girls, with girls having more positive perceptions than boys. An attempt to change the negative perceptions of pupils to positive perceptions will inevitably result in an improvement in academic achievement. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of two methods of listening and reading instruction when used in the language arts programs at the eighth-grade level as related to listening, reading, study skills, and English achievement. Two groups were studied; one was an experimental group receiving programed material present by the Listen and Read Program and a control group receiving instruction through the regular classroom program.

西方動機研究指出對學習較為理想的動機以自主及內在取向為主。但近年的跨文化動機研究指出，雖然東方社會的學習環境未必對培養內在動機有利，但國際研究 (如：PISA) 指出東方學生的成績較西方學生為佳。 / 本研究邀請249名高中學生於考試前兩周填寫學習動機量度問卷。多層線性回歸分析指出正面的自尊感可預測基於平時分預測以外的中文、英文及數學科考試成績。而中文科及英文科考試成績亦同時受到不同類型的動機概念所影響。 / 本研究亦發現性別與不同程度的自我調控動機的交互影響可影響語文科的考試表現 (中文及英文科)。這些交互影響與考試成績的關係可歸因於女生在學習語文科目時的女性取向及她們在語文科的成績優勢。男生的交互影響則受競爭取向及希望獲取優異考試成績而引致的焦慮所影響，使男生分別在中、英文科成績受到正面(中文)及負面(英文)的影響。 / In Western motivational studies, high achieving and successful students are characterized as autonomous, self-directed, and intrinsically motivated. To optimize learning and academic achievement, Western motivational theories emphasize learning with goals that are aimed at mastering content and developing one's competence. In recent years, many academic achievement studies with international comparisons suggest that East Asian students are often among the top achievers (Hau & Ho, 2010; Li, 2002). In contrast to Western learning environments, the education environment in these East Asian countries, like Hong Kong, Shanghai, Korea is characterized as demanding and exam-oriented. Students' learning is believed to be predominately driven by extrinsic motivation. Such a learning environment is likely to create a less desirable condition for the development of optimal academic motivation in students. Thus, it is surprising to note the latest OECD PISA report (OECD, 2010) showed these Asian countries being ranked highly in academic achievement, occupying the third to fourth rankings among all participating countries. The outstanding achievement of East Asian students has been of great research interest in recent years. Researchers have focused on the cultural factors and socialization processes for explaining the outstanding academic achievement of East Asian students, and have studied how cultural factors and socialization processes contribute to different motivational mechanisms in initiating and sustaining students' academic engagement. / In the present study, a questionnaire which consisted items of self-regulating motivations, goals orientations, contingent self-worth, self-esteem, task value and goal investment were administered to examine how different motivational processes contributed to Hong Kong Chinese high school students' (N=249) academic achievement. Students filled in the questionnaire two weeks before their final examination. Their pre-examination term marks and gender were entered as controlled variables for predicting students’ final examination achievement along with the motivation variables. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that different motivational processes exerted different influences on students' performance in compulsory academic subjects. / Consistent across the three core academic subjects (Chinese, English and Mathematics), the higher one's self-esteem two weeks before their final examination, the greater was his or her achievement on top of what would have been predicted by their term scores. The boosting effect of motivational constructs were also found in the humanities subjects, particularly for English, students with higher performance goal, contingent self-worth, external regulation and lower identified regulation achieved better examination results in respective academic subjects. For Chinese language, higher external regulation predicted better examination achievement. Plausible explanations including cultural influences and relative importance of these subjects in Hong Kong context were discussed. / Findings in the present study also documented interaction effects between gender and self-regulated motivation for humanities examination achievement. Results of hierarchical regression analyses showed that two types of self-regulating motivation interacted with gender on the achievement of different language arts subjects. Findings showed that girls with low introjected regulation achieved much better Chinese examination results than boys did. The interaction effect for the two sexes was relatively smaller for students with higher introjected regulation. / For English language, girls with high identified regulation had better examination results than boys did. The interaction effect for the two sexes was relatively smaller for students with low identified regulation. / The findings confirmed that self-regulating motivation interacted with gender for different academic subjects. In general, language subjects were deemed as feminine orientations, in which girls tend to possess greater internal value towards learning this academic subject, and girls' achievement suffered as heightened introjected regulation externalized self-regulating motivation. Whereas, boys' performance did not suffer as they were more receptive to heightened external regulation and competition. / In the learning of non-native language, achievement in English examination was negatively affected by identified regulation. In a previous study, it was documented that upper-grade students were less motivated in reading than lower-grade students (Lau, 2009a). As there is tremendous pressure for students to master English in Hong Kong, identified regulation may not be a strong propelling force for students' learning two weeks before their final examination. However, the negative effects differed across both genders. As girls enjoy the beneficial effects of feminine orientations and higher language competence, they maintain their identified value for English language and hence relatively similar English achievement levels were observed in girls regardless of the level of identified regulation. Whereas, for boys, the negative impact of identified regulation was more obvious. As boys were found to be more anxious in learning English than their female counterparts in CMI schools (Salili & Lai, 2003), high identified regulation reflected their stronger desire to get good grades or stronger personal importance attached with the subject which in turn heightened their anxiety and adversely affected the boys' achievement. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Wong, Chin-pang. / Thesis (Ed.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 108-119). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese. / Chapter Chapter1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Background of the Study --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Significance of the Study --- p.6 / Chapter Chapter2 --- Review of Literature --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1 --- Approaches of Studying Human Motivation --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Behavioral Approaches --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Cognitive Approaches --- p.11 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Summary --- p.13 / Chapter 2.2 --- Major Motivational Theories and Constructs --- p.14 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Atkinson and Achievement Motivation --- p.14 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Weiner and Attribution Theory --- p.16 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Performance Goals and Mastery Goals --- p.19 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Self-Determination Theory --- p.22 / Chapter 2.2.5 --- Gender Differences in Major Motivation Variables --- p.25 / Chapter 2.2.6 --- Summary --- p.28 / Chapter 2.3 --- Effects of Cultural and Contextual Factors on Different Motivational Constructs --- p.29 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Goal Theory --- p.29 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Attribution Theory --- p.31 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Self-Determination Theory --- p.34 / Chapter 2.3.4 --- Summary --- p.38 / Chapter 2.4 --- Achievement Motivation in Chinese Societies --- p.41 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- Goal Theory in Chinese Societies --- p.43 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Attribution Theory in Chinese Societies --- p.45 / Chapter 2.4.3 --- Self Determination Theory in Chinese Societies --- p.49 / Chapter 2.4.4 --- Summary --- p.52 / Chapter Chapter3 --- Method --- p.55 / Chapter 3.1 --- Participants --- p.55 / Chapter 3.2 --- Procedure --- p.55 / Chapter 3.3 --- Measure and Instruments --- p.56 / Chapter 3.4 --- Statistical Analysis --- p.61 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Motivational Processes and Academic Achievement --- p.63 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Gender Differences in Academic Motivation --- p.65 / Chapter Chapter4 --- Results --- p.67 / Chapter 4.1 --- Motivational Processes and Academic Achievement --- p.70 / Chapter 4.2 --- Prediction of Final Chinese Examination --- p.74 / Chapter 4.3 --- Prediction of Final English Examination --- p.77 / Chapter Chapter5 --- Discussion --- p.80 / Chapter 5.1 --- Self in Learning among Chinese --- p.80 / Chapter 5.2 --- Task Engagement (Ego Involve and Task-Oriented) of Chinese Students --- p.83 / Chapter 5.3 --- Chinese Self-Regulating Motivation --- p.88 / Chapter 5.4 --- Self-Regulating Motivation and Gender Differences --- p.94 / Chapter 5.5 --- Conclusion and Implication --- p.102 / Chapter 5.6 --- Limitations and Future Studies --- p.105 / References --- p.108

Understanding what schools can do to help low-income and high-achieving students succeed academically was one of the prime motivations of this dissertation. In Mexico, low-income students perform in the lowest quartiles of standardized tests, and their future is not promising. In order to understand what factors can help low-income students succeed at school, I reviewed the school effectiveness and resilience literature as to understand the different factors that determine academic achievement of students coming from low-income backgrounds. Through a thorough quantitative analysis of the Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) 2009 and the Formato 911 databases, I identified the different factors that helped low-income students succeed at school. I first analyzed the student, family, and school factors that determined students’ academic achievement in Mexico, in order to get a general idea of what determined achievement of students in Mexico, as a country. Then, I went further and focused more on my sample of interest and analyzed the student, family, and school factors that were associated with a higher probability of showing higher scores on tests, even when struggling with a lack of resources. The most noteworthy finding from the analyses conducted to understand what determined students’ achievement in Mexico, as a country, was that academic performance was mainly explained by students' individual characteristics. Characteristics, including whether the student had a low or high socioeconomic status, whether he or she was in the appropriate grade, whether the student was a girl or a boy, whether he or she attended preschool, whether the student lived with his or her mother, and the attitude he or she had toward school, seemed to be associated with how the student scored on standardized tests. The school level variables that had a positive association with the students’ performance were the schools’ mean Index of Economic, Social and Cultural Status (ESCS), whether the school was private, and the percentage of indigenous students in the school. By estimating cross-level interaction effects, I found the interaction between ESCS and whether the school was located in a rural area and whether the school was a distance education program to be statistically significant. The aforementioned outcomes showed that one additional standard deviation of income had a very small effect on the academic achievement of students living in rural areas or attending a distance education program school. Another interesting finding is that the number of teachers enrolled in the incentives program offered by the government, Carrera Magisterial, was not statistically significant in any of my models, showing that this program was not effective in improving the education that middle school and 15-year-old students received in Mexico. I also analyzed the different factors that increased the probability of low-income students obtaining scores that were higher than would have been predicted given their socioeconomic status. I named these learners resilient students. I found a student’s attitude toward school, whether the student repeated zero, one or two or more primary school grades, whether they student attended a private or a Telesecundaria school, and the average class size of the school to be statistically significant variables. Attitude toward school seemed to have the largest contribution to increasing the probability of being categorized as resilient, almost half of a standard deviation, and remained positive and statistically significant in the analysis. The analysis showed that improving a student’s attitude toward school in one standard deviation, increased the probability of that student being resilient by 24 percentage points. However, it is hard to tell if students who are succeeding are doing so because of their attitude or if successful students have a better attitude because they are doing well in school. In any case, this variable was highly statistically significant and was similar to a noncognitive ability measure, which, according to the literature, includes skills omitted in most of the analyses of the determinants of achievement. One of most relevant findings of this study is that the number of teachers enrolled in the incentives program of the government, Carrera Magisterial, was not statistically significant in any of my models, showing that this program was not effective in improving the education that middle school and 15-year-old students received in Mexico. One of the implications is that the government should not consider the possibility of restoring that program in the Mexican education system. Preschool education, attitude towards school, gender, and time-spent in class are factors that highly related with the success of low-income students. Additional analysis and data is needed in order to perform further analysis on the impact that these determinants have on students achievement. Finally, this study revealed that Telesecundarias play an important role in helping economically disadvantaged students gain access to education in locations where no teachers or other school resources are available and are also positively associated with academic success.

Thesis (MPA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2012 / The aim of this is to investigate the factors which play a role in the poor performance of the Grade 12 in the secondary schools in the Mogalakwena Circuit of the Limpopo Province. The researcher engaged a qualitative type of methodology. An interview schedule was compiled. A semi-structured interview was conducted on the subject of research. Secondary schools were sampled for the interview process. Data were analyzed manually and mechanically. Factors affecting learner performance were found to be basic. The human and material demands were found to be inhibiting learning. Solutions from within and without the schools were recommended to help reduce the problem of Grade12 failure rate.

The purpose of this study was to examine self-determination and achievement motivation as predictors of successful school performance for high school African American males enrolled in an urban Texas school district. The students (N = 108) were placed into two distinct groups: higher-performing and lower-performing African American males based upon the following: (a) Numerical average in core classes taken, (b) performance on the Texas state achievement test, (c) placement in academic classes and programs, and (d) attendance and discipline records. This study employed both qualitative and quantitative methodologies in which African American males responded to The Needs Satisfaction Scale (Ilardi, Leone, Kasser, & Ryan, 1993; Deci & Ryan, 2000; Gagne, 2003) and The Student Opinion Survey/Education Survey (Murdock, 1993). Tests of multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were used in this study to measure the mean differences between the two groups in terms of self-determination (autonomy, relatedness, and competence); and achievement motivation (personal motivation, parent encouragement, teacher support, and peer support). The study found statistically significant differences in levels of self-determination and achievement motivation between the two groups. The qualitative segment was used to explore factors that lead to successful school performance for the African American males included in this study. Four themes emerged: (a) parental encouragement and expectations, (b) involvement in extracurricular activities, (c) personal motivation to achieve, and (d) relationships with significant adults. Recommendations are made to replicate this study in school with larger African American student enrollment and in schools with high achievement and high economic levels. Also, the study may be replicated with other ethnic groups who historically have experienced poor school performance. / text