Cultural differences in learning motivation and learning strategies: A comparison of overseas and Australian students at an Australian university

Abstract Influenced by Weber's protestant work ethic ideology, McClelland proposed that the economic development of societies could be attributed to differences in achievement motivation. Early empirical evidence from many developing countries seemed to support this hypothesis. More recently, however, writers have come to acknowledge that achievement motivation is not a universal construct and that motivation in a cultural context is multidimensional. They propose that in many developing countries a social approval motive could be stronger. There has also been a tendency to stereotype Asian learners as rote learners. Although recent research has challenged this view, we need strong evidence to counter this belief. A study was undertaken to compare the patterns of motivation and learning strategies of Australian and Asian students at an Australian university. The results show that there are some similarities and differences between cultures in what motivates students and how they approach learning. The most important finding of this study is that McClelland's NAch operationalized more narrowly, as the need for “competition” seems to be an important dimension of motivation for Australian students, but an equally potent motivating factor for Asian students seems to be social approval. Furthermore, this study lends support to the argument that Asian learners are not rote learners.

[1]  F. Marton,et al.  ON QUALITATIVE DIFFERENCES IN LEARNING: I—OUTCOME AND PROCESS* , 1976 .

[2]  E. Shils,et al.  The intellectual between tradition and modernity : the Indian situation , 1962 .

[3]  David Kember,et al.  A challenge to the anecdotal stereotype of the Asian student , 1991 .

[4]  Michael Harris Bond,et al.  Linking person perception to behavioural intention across cultures: The role of cultural collectivis , 1984 .

[5]  John Clanchy,et al.  Study abroad : a manual for Asian students , 1984 .

[6]  D. Kember,et al.  Does higher education promote independent learning? , 1990 .

[7]  Max Weber.  Die protestantische Ethik und der Geist des Kapitalismus , 1993 .

[8]  John Biggs,et al.  DIMENSIONS OF STUDY BEHAVIOUR: ANOTHER LOOK AT ATI , 1976 .

[9]  T. Boyle.  An Investigation into the Development of Referential Speech Skills in Junior School Children , 1982 .

[10]  Robert C. Davis,et al.  The Achieving Society , 1962 .

[11]  G. Pask.  STYLES AND STRATEGIES OF LEARNING , 1976 .

[12]  D. Mcclelland.  Human Motivation: Motivational Trends in Society , 1988 .

[13]  H. Triandis.  Cross-cultural studies of individualism and collectivism. , 1989, Nebraska Symposium on Motivation. Nebraska Symposium on Motivation.

[14]  楊國樞,et al.  Chinese Values and the Search for Culture-Free Dimensions of Culture , 1987 .

[15]  K. Doi.  A two dimensional theory of achievement motivation , 1982 .

[16]  Katherine Samuelowicz,et al.  Learning Problems of Overseas Students: Two Sides of a Story , 1987 .

[17]  John Biggs,et al.  Does confidence in the language of instruction influence a student's approach to learning? , 1991 .

[18]  J. Biggs.  Individual differences in study processes and the Quality of Learning Outcomes , 1979 .

[19]  J. Duda.  A cross-cultural analysis of achievement motivation in sport and the classroom , 1981 .

[20]  J. Duda.  Achievement Motivation Among Navajo Students: A Conceptual Analysis with Preliminary Data , 1980 .

[21]  A. T. Church,et al.  The Cultural Context of Academic Motives , 1992 .

[22]  N. Warren.  Studies in cross-cultural psychology , 1977 .

[23]  J. Novak,et al.  Educational Psychology: A Cognitive View , 1969 .