Chinese-background Australian students’ academic self-concept, motivational goals, and achievements in math and English

Abstract

Students' self-concept and motivation are widely acknowledged as two important psychological constructs that have prominent influence on students' academic performance. However, research on how gender roles may affect students' academic self-concept and motivation often produces inconsistent results. Academic self-concept, which is defined as students' self-perception and self-appraised capabilities and enjoyment in academic domains, is a significant contributing factor to various desirable educational outcomes. In the past couple of decades, motivation research has advanced enormously and a number of theories have been generated. Research has revealed that there may be a gender stereotype on academic self-beliefs, motivation, and achievement. Cultural backgrounds may exert influences on students' academic self-beliefs and motivation. The interaction between gender and culture was also found for self-concept and academic performance. The materials used for data collection were a questionnaire and the achievement test scores in math and English.