The Effect of Classroom Climate on Academic Motivation Mediated by Academic Self-Efficacy in a Higher Education Institute in China

Qiumei Wang, Kenny Cheah Soon Lee, Kazi Enamul Hoque

Abstract


Learning theories and empirical findings have widely recognized academic motivation as the driving force behind student academic performance. However, recent findings have indicated the need to pay attention to drive academic motivation among undergraduate students in China. Therefore, this present study examines the direct and indirect effects of classroom climate on student academic motivation in higher education. A total of 119 undergraduate students from a medical college in China was approached to respond to a survey questionnaire. The data analysis result shows that classroom climate significantly and positively affects student academic motivation and that the relationship is significantly mediated by academic self-efficacy. Particularly, the relationship established in this study additionally indicates that a planned and cohesive classroom climate can effectively improve student academic motivation.  Indicatively, a planned and fair classroom climate effectually builds students' self-efficacy in their learning. This study highlights the indispensable and pivotal role that a positive classroom climate plays in motivating students to be more engaged and learn effectively. Also, the findings of this study provide guidance and references for stakeholders, school administrators, and lecturers in building and sustaining a positive and healthy classroom climate for better learning. 

https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.19.8.11


Keywords


Classroom Climate; Academic Motivation; Academic Self-Efficacy; Academic Performance

Full Text:

PDF

References


Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M. W., DiPietro, M., Lovett, M. C., & Norman, M. K. (2010). How learning works: Seven research-based principles for smart teaching. CA: John Wiley & Sons.

Anderson, A., Hamilton, R. J., & Hattie, J. (2004). Classroom climate and motivated behaviour in secondary schools. Learning Environments Research, 7(3), 211-225. doi:10.1007/s10984-004-3292-9

Bailey, T. H., & Phillips, L. J. (2016). The influence of motivation and adaptation on students’ subjective well-being, meaning in life and academic performance. Higher education research & development, 35(2), 201-216. doi:10.1080/07294360.2015.1087474

Bandura, A. (2007). Much ado over a faulty conception of perceived self-efficacy grounded in faulty experimentation. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 26, 641–658. doi:10.1521/jscp.2007.26.6.641

Barksdale, C. J. (2017). Examining the Relationship Between Classroom Climate and Student Achievement of Middle School Students (Ed.D. Thesis). University of Houston-Clear Lake, Ann Arbor.

Basila, C. L. (2016). Academic performance in college online courses: The role of self-regulated learning, motivation and academic self-efficacy (Ph.D. Thesis). State University of New York at Albany, Ann Arbor.

Bibi, A. (2017). Factors affecting Differential Equation Problem Solving Ability of Pre-university Level Students In a Selected Province in Pakistan (Unpublished Doctroral Dissertation). Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: University of Malaya.

Cave, P. N., Evans, N. W., Dewey, D. P., & Hartshorn, K. J. (2018). Motivational partnerships: increasing ESL student self-efficacy. Elt Journal, 72(1), 83-96. doi:10.1093/elt/ccx027

Chi, L. P., & Xin, Z. Q. (2004). The Measurement of Learning Motivation and its Relationship with Self-Efficacy among College Students. Psychological Development and Education, 21(2), 64-70.

Ciani, K. D., Middleton, M. J., Summers, J. J., & Sheldon, K. M. (2010). Buffering against performance classroom goal structures: The importance of autonomy support and classroom community. Contemporary educational psychology, 35(1), 88-99. doi:10.1016/j.cedpsych.2009.11.001

Cleary, T. J., & Kitsantas, A. (2017). Motivation and self-regulated learning influences on middle school mathematics achievement. School Psychology Review, 46(1), 88-107. doi:10.17105/spr46-1.88-107

Covington, M. V. (1992). Making the grade: A self-worth perspective on motivation and school reform. Cambridge University Press.

Deci, E. L., Cascio, W. F., & Krusell, J. (1975). Cognitive evaluation theory and some comments on the Calder and Staw critique. Journal of personality and social psychology, 31(1), 81-85. doi:10.1037/h0076168

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). The general causality orientations scale: Self-determination in personality. Journal of research in personality, 19(2), 109-134. doi:10.1016/0092-6566(85)90023-6

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what†and “why†of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227-268. doi:10.1207/s15327965pli1104_01

Deci, E. L., Olafsen, A. H., & Ryan, R. M. (2017). Self-determination theory in work organizations: The state of a science. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 4, 19-43.

Dev, P. C. (1997). Intrinsic motivation and academic achievement: What does their relationship imply for the classroom teacher?. Remedial and special education, 18(1), 12-19. doi:10.1177/074193259701800104

Froiland, J. M., & Worrell, F. C. (2016). Intrinsic motivation, learning goals, engagement, and achievement in a diverse high school. Psychology in the Schools, 53(3), 321-336. doi:10.1002/pits.21901

Fry, P., & Coe, K. (1980). Interaction among dimensions of academic motivation and classroom social climate: A study of the perceptions of junior high and high school pupils. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 50(1), 33-42. doi:10.1111/j.2044-8279.1980.tb00795.x

Gao, X. L., & Gao, L., (2015) The characteristics and grade differences in learning motivation, learning strategies, learning investment among undergraduate students. China Journal of Health Psychology, 23 (2), 274-277.

Gold, A. H., Malhotra, A., & Segars, A. H. (2001). Knowledge management: an organizational capabilities perspective. Journal of Management Information Systems, 18(1), 185–214. doi:10.1080/07421222.2001.11045669

Gou, Y. K. (2016). The Relationship between College Students’ Social Support, Achievement Motivation, and Mobile Phone Dependence (Master’s thesis). Shandong Normal University, Jinan.

Griffin, R., MacKewn, A., Moser, E., & VanVuren, K. (2012). Do learning and study skills affect academic performance? An empirical investigation. Contemporary Issues in Education Research, 5(2), 1-7. doi:10.19030/cier.v5i2.6928

Guay, F., Mageau, G. A., & Vallerand, R. J. (2003). On the Hierarchical Structure of Self-Determined Motivation: A Test of Top-Down, Bottom-Up, Reciprocal, and Horizontal Effects. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29(8), 992–1004. doi:10.1177/0146167203253297

Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., Anderson, R. E., & Tatham, R. L. (2010). Multivariate Data Analysis: Pearson education. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Hair Jr, J. F., Sarstedt, M., Hopkins, L., & G. Kuppelwieser, V. (2014). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) An emerging tool in business research. European Business Review, 26(2), 106-121. doi:10.1108/ebr-10-2013-0128

Hair Jr, J. F., Sarstedt, M., Ringle, C. M., & Gudergan, S. P. (2017). Advanced issues in partial least squares structural equation modeling. Sage Publications.

Hair Jr, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C., & Sarstedt, M. (2017). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (Second ed.). Los Angeles: Sage publications.

Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1), 115-135. doi:10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8

Hu, Z. X. (2010). Research on the Assessment Model of Class Climate in higher Education Institutes. Heilongjiang Researches on Higher Education. 28(2), 46-49.

Huang, C., & Bai, Q.-h. (2017). The Relationship Between Classroom Climate, Self-Efficacy, and Learning Motivation. DEStech Transactions on Social Science, Education and Human Science, 308-312. doi:10.12783/dtssehs/ermm2017/14731

Huang, Y., Lv, W., & Wu, J. (2016). Relationship between intrinsic motivation and undergraduate students’ depression and stress: the moderating effect of interpersonal conflict. Psychological reports, 119(2), 527-538.

Khalaila, R. (2015). The relationship between academic self-concept, intrinsic motivation, test anxiety, and academic achievement among nursing students: Mediating and moderating effects. Nurse Education Today, 35(3), 432-438. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2014.11.001

Kline, R. B. (2011). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. New York: Guilford Press.

Ladd, H. F., & Sorensen, L. C. (2017). Returns to teacher experience: Student achievement and motivation in middle school. Education Finance and Policy, 12(2), 241-279. doi:10.1162/edfp_a_00194

Lerdpornkulrat, T., Koul, R., & Poondej, C. (2018). Relationship between perceptions of classroom climate and institutional goal structures and student motivation, engagement and intention to persist in college. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 42(1), 102-115. doi:10.1080/0309877x.2016.1206855

Levy-Tossman, I., Kaplan, A., & Assor, A. (2007). Academic goal orientations, multiple goal profiles, and friendship intimacy among early adolescents. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 32(2), 231-252. doi:10.1016/j.cedpsych.2006.06.001

Liu, W. (2013). The current situation of learning motivation and learning strategies among independent college students (Master’s thesis). Liaoning Normal University, Liaoning.

Maulana, R., Helms-Lorenz, M., Irnidayanti, Y., & van de Grift, W. (2016). Autonomous motivation in the Indonesian classroom: Relationship with teacher support through the lens of self-determination theory. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 25(3), 441-451. doi:10.1007/s40299-016-0282-5

Mega, C., Ronconi, L., & De Beni, R. (2014). What makes a good student? How emotions, self-regulated learning, and motivation contribute to academic achievement. Journal of educational psychology, 106(1), 121. doi:10.1037/a0033546

McKeachie, W. J., Pintrich, P. R., Lin, Y. G., & Smith, D. (1986). Teaching and learning in the college classroom: A review of the research literature. Ann Arbor, MI: National Center for Research to Improve Postsecondary Teaching and Learning, The University of Michigan.

Morin, A. J. S., Marsh, H. W., Nagengast, B., & Scalas, L. F. (2014). Doubly Latent Multilevel Analyses of Classroom Climate: An Illustration. Journal of Experimental Education, 82(2), 143-167. doi:10.1080/00220973.2013.769412

Mucherah, W., Finch, H., Smith, V., & Ambrose-Stahl, D. (2014). Exploring the relationship between classroom climate, reading motivation, and achievement: A look into 7th grade classrooms. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 8(1), 93-110.

Muijs, D. (2011). Doing Quantitative Research in Education with SPSS (Second ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Inc.

Nelson, R. M., & DeBacker, T. K. (2008). Achievement motivation in adolescents: The role of peer climate and best friends. The journal of experimental education, 76(2), 170-189. doi:10.3200/jexe.76.2.170-190

O'Brennan, L. M., Bradshaw, C. P., & Furlong, M. J. (2014). Influence of Classroom and School Climate on Teacher Perceptions of Student Problem Behavior. School Mental Health, 6(2), 125-136. doi:10.1007/s12310-014-9118-8

Pavlou, V. (2006). Preâ€adolescents' perceptions of competence, motivation and engagement in art activities. International Journal of Art & Design Education, 25(2), 194-204. doi:10.1111/j.1476-8070.2006.00484.x

Pelletier, L. G., Fortier, M. S., Vallerand, R. J., & Brière, N. M. (2001). Associations Among Perceived Autonomy Support, Forms of Self-Regulation, and Persistence: A Prospective Study. Motivation and Emotion, 25(4), 279-306.

Pintrich, P. R., Smith, D. A., García, T., & McKeachie, W. J. (1991). A manual for the use of the motivational strategies for learning questionnaire (MSLQ). Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan, National Center for Research to Improve Postsecondary Teaching and Learning.

Qiu. K. R. (2013). An Empirical Study of College Students' Learning Motivation——Based on the Survey of 6 Universities (Master’s thesis). Shantou University, Shantou.

Rana, R. A., Mahmood, N., & Reid, N. (2015). Motivation and science performance: influence on student learning in science. Science Institute (Lahore), 27(2), 1445-1452.

Ratelle, C. F., Guay, F., Vallerand, R. J., Larose, S., & Senécal, C. (2007). Autonomous, controlled, and amotivated types of academic motivation: A person-oriented analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99(4), 734–746. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.99.4.734

Reindl, M., Berner, V. D., Scheunpflug, A., Zeinz, H., & Dresel, M. (2015). Effect of negative peer climate on the development of autonomous motivation in mathematics. Learning and Individual Differences, 38, 68-75. doi:10.1016/j.lindif.2015.01.017

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary educational psychology, 25(1), 54-67. doi:10.1006/ceps.1999.1020

Ryan, R. M., Rigby, C. S., & Przybylski, A. (2006). The motivational pull of video games: A self-determination theory approach. Motivation and emotion, 30(4), 344-360. doi:10.1007/s11031-006-9051-8

Rush, K. (2013). A Quantitative Evaluation of Gender, Nationality, and Generational/Age Influence on Academic Motivation. (Ph.D.). Northcentral University, Ann Arbor.

Saggaf, M. S., Nasriyah, N., Salam, R., & Wirawan, H. (2018). The Influence of Teacher's Pedagogic Competence on Learning Motivation of Student of Office Administration Expertise Package. Paper presented at the 8th International Conference of Asian Association of Indigenous and Cultural Psychology (ICAAIP 2017). doi: 10.2991/icaaip-17.2018.24

Sarstedt, M., Ringle, C. M., Smith, D., Reams, R., & Hair Jr, J. F. (2014). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM): A useful tool for family business researchers. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 5(1), 105-115. doi:10.1016/j.jfbs.2014.01.002

Schonert-Reichl, K. A., Kitil, M. J., & Hanson-Peterson, J. (2017). To reach the students, teach the teachers: A national scan of teacher preparation and social and emotional learning. A report prepared for the CASEL. Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). Vancouver, B.C.: University of British Columbia.

Schunk, D. H., & Pajares, F. (2002). The development of academic self-efficacy. In Development of achievement motivation (pp. 15-31). Academic Press.

Seritanondh, S. (2013). Teacher leadership styles and student psychological characteristics affecting the study methods of foundation English courses in higher education: A case study of education and humanity/liberal arts students in Thailand. The Journal of Behavioral Science, 8(1), 17-36.

Sharma, H. L., & Nasa, G. (2014). Academic self-efficacy: A reliable predictor of educational performances. British Journal of Education, 2(3), 57-64.

Stolk, J. D., Jacobs, J., Girard, C., & Pudvan, L. (2018). Learners’ Needs Satisfaction, Classroom Climate, and Situational Motivations: Evaluating Self-Determination Theory in an Engineering Context. 2018 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), 1-5. doi:10.1109/fie.2018.8658880

Su. Z. P., Ye, P., Li, J. P., Wei, T. Du, Z. M., & Lu, Z. J. (2014). Analysis on the Differences of Autonomous Learning Ability of Medical Undergraduates. CHINA MEDICAL EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY, 28(4): 444-451.

Supervia, P. U., & Bordas, C. S. (2018). School Motivation, Emotional Intelligence and Academic Performance in Students of Secondary Education. Actualidades En Psicologia, 32(125), 95-112.

Taheri-Kharameh, Z., Sharififard, F., Asayesh, H., Sepahvandi, M., & Hoseini, M. H. (2018). Relationship between Academic Self-efficacy and Motivation among Medical Science Students. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 12(7), 7-10. doi: 10.7860/JCDR/2018/29482.11770

Taylor, R. (2012). Review of the motivated strategies for learning questionnaire (MSLQ) using reliability generalization techniques to assess scale reliability (Doctoral dissertation). Auburn University, Auburn.

Tucker, C. M., Zayco, R. A., & Herman, K. C. (2002). Teacher and child variables as predictors of academic engagement among low-income African American children. Psychology in the Schools, 39(4), 477-488. doi:10.1002/pits.10038

Vaculíková, J. (2016). The Third Round of the Czech Validation of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). International Education Studies, 9(7), 35-46.

Vallerand, R. J. (1997). Toward a hierarchical model of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. In Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 29, pp. 271-360). Academic Press.

Vallerand, R. J. (2000). Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory: A view from the hierarchical model of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 312–318. URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1449629 .

Verešová, M., & Foglová, L. (2016). Academic self–Efficacy, heteronomous and autonomous evaluation of academic achievement of adolescents. Paper presented at the 7th International Conference on Education and Educational Psychology (ICEEPSY 2016). URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.15405/epsbs.2016.11.91

Wang, M. T., Degol, J. L., Amemiya, J., Parr, A., & Guo, J. (2020). Classroom climate and children’s academic and psychological wellbeing: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Developmental Review, 57, 100912.

Wang, Q., & Lin, J. (2018). An Empirical Analysis of the Status Quo of Learning Situation and Motivation among College Students--Taking college Students in Shanxi University Communities as an Example. University Education, 9(12):143-146.

Zikmund, W. G., Babin, B. J., Carr, J. C., & Griffin, M. (2010). Business Research Methods (8th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Ceng.

Zhao, H. J. (2015) The relationship between learning burnout and learning motivation: the mediating role of attribution (Master’s thesis). Southwest University, Chongqing.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


e-ISSN: 1694-2116

p-ISSN: 1694-2493