Motivational Beliefs about Personal and Other Academic Success: Are there cultural differences? [R]

Currently, little is known about how children from diverse cultural backgrounds within Australia view success in the classroom. Does being successful at school mean the same thing for all children? This study explores this issue by looking at two achievement goals: task goals and performance approach goals. Additionally, the study explores students’ perceptions of metacognition and its relationship to feelings of success for ‘self’ and ‘others’. The study compares crosscultural similarities and differences between students’ perceptions of personal and peer success at school. Using a sample of N=1967 students, drawn from Grades 7, 8, & 9 in eleven high schools in rural and urban areas of New South Wales, comparisons are drawn between the ‘self’ and ‘other’ beliefs of Australian Anglo (n=852), European-background Australian (n=117), Aboriginal Australian (n=343, Lebanese-background Australian (n=372) and Asian-background Australian (n=283) students. Using a Likert-type scale students were asked to indicate what made them feel personally successful at school. They were then asked to indicate what made other students feel successful at school. Comparisons are drawn between each group on self perceptions of feelings of personal success and between each group’s perception of ‘others’ feelings of success. Comparisons on metacognitive self and other beliefs are also compared. Relationships between the mastery and performance goals and metacognition are examined.