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Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 46 (2012) 3931 3935

WCES 2012

Prediction of school performance: the role of motivational orientation and classroom environment
Loredana Ruxandra Gherasima *, Cornelia Maireana, Simona Butnarua
a

Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University,

700554, Romania

Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between school achievement, motivational orientation and classroom environment in high school adolescents. The participants consisted of 668 eleven-grade students (360 males and 308 females) aged between 17 and 19. Students filled in scales for motivational orientation were collected from the nalysis showed that intrinsic, extrinsic motivation, amotivation and peers support significantly predicted the between peers support and achievement was moderated by extrinsic motivation. Practical implications of motivational strategies in educational contexts were discussed. 2012Published Published by Elsevier Ltd. 2012 by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer review under responsibility of Prof. Dr. Hseyin Uzunboylu
Keywords: motivational orientation, classroom enviroment, school achievement;

1. Introduction Researchers and educators have paid considerable attention to the relevant factors that contribute to enhancing students' achievement. They found that both psychological (Fisher, Marshall, & Nanayakkara, 2009; Lepper, Corpus, & Iyengar, 2005) and environmental characteristics (Brown & Larson, 2009; Davidson, Khmelkov, & Lickona, 2010; Wentzel, 2003) influence school achievement. Considering these findings, in the current study we examined the role of motivational orientation and perception of the classroom environment as determinants of achievement in a sample of high-school students. Academic motivation plays a formative role in learning, acting as the force that directs, energizes, and regulates students' academic behaviour (Covington, 2000; Schunk, Pintrich, & Meece, 2008). Learning motivation is the desire to gain information, develop skills, and attain mastery (Covington, 2000). Theorists conceptualize academic motivation on a continuum, ranging from intrinsic to extrinsic polarities (Harter, 1981; Ryan & Deci, 2000). Intrinsic motivation is defined as the degree to which a student s engagement in classroom learning activities is driven by internal motivational factors (Eccles, Simpkins, & Davis-Kean, 2006; Harter, 1981; Ryan & Deci, 2000). Students with an intrinsic orientation are energized to explore, use and extend their knowledge and skills, the learning process itself being pleasurable for them (Harter, 1981; Lepper et al., 2005). Intrinsically motivated students showed persistence of effort and adaptive emotional reactions after failure (Gottfried, 1985; Pintrich & Zusho, 2002). Studies found positive correlations between intrinsic motivation and academic achievement (Bryan,
* Gherasim L.R. Tel.: +4-023-220-1293 E-mail address: [email protected]

1877-0428 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer review under responsibility of Prof. Dr. Hseyin Uzunboylu doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.06.174

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Glynn & Kittleson, 2011; Fisher at al., 2009; Gottfried, 1985; Lepper at al., 2005), suggesting that a decline in intrinsic motivation may signify a decline in achievement. Extrinsic motivation appears when classroom learning activities are determined by external interests, such as earning satisfactory grades, teacher approval or peers acceptance (Harter, 1981; Wolters, Yu, & Pintrich, 1996). Students who are extrinsically motivated or amotivated experienced school disengagement and lower academic achievement (Fisher et al., 2009; Gottfried, 1985). Previous research related academic motivational orientation to the learning environment (Ryan & Deci 2000). Generally, the classroom learning environment was evaluated through the characteristics of the relationships between teacher and students and between students (Pianta & Stuhlman, 2004; Wentzel, 2003). Studies showed that respectful, responsive, caring, and warm teacher-students relationships positively influenced adolescents academic aspirations, task values, self-concept, learning strategies and outcomes (Ahmed, Minnaert, van der Werf, & Kuyper, 2010; Ryan & Patrick, 2001; Wentzel, 2003). Fewer researchers have analysed the critical role of peers during adolescence. The results showed that positive, mutually supportive peers relationships can foster positive academic development (Gherasim, Butnaru & Iacob, 2011; Wentzel, McNamara-Barry, & Caldwell, 2004), while negative peers experiences are linked with educational difficulties (Juvonen, Graham, & Schuster, 2003). During adolescence, friendships become more complex (Brown & Larson, 2009), and peer relationships have a stronger impact (positive or negative) on grades in adolescence (Li, Lynch, Kalvin, Liu & Lerner, 2011). learning outcomes and reported Researchers compared the teachers and peers influence on the mixed results. Some researchers found that high school students rely more heavily on their peers as sources of -Myszak, & Nellis, 2011), while others endorse support (Brown & Larson, 2009 that teacher support is more important in determining adolescent outcomes (Hattie, 2009). Beyond the comparative perspective, there are studies that suggest that teacher and peers support enhance each other. Teachers tend to provide more support to well socially integrated students within the classroom (Davidson et al., 2010), and reversely, peers tend to show more acceptance to those students who are more supported by their teachers (Danielsen, Wiium, Wilhelmsen & Wold, 2010). Although numerous studies have demonstrated the impact of the classroom environment and academic motivation on students achievement (Lepper at al., 2005; Li et al., 2011; Wentzel et al., 2004), few studies have examined the relationships between these factors in predicting school achievement (Bryan et al., 2011; Gherasim et al., 2011). Based on these findings, the goal of this present study was to examine if the relationship between the classroom environment and academic achievement was moderated by motivational orientation in adolescents. 2. Method 2.1. Participants In this study, 680 eleven-grade students from nine high schools comprising children from various socioeconomic backgrounds were recruited. Students who provided incomplete data were excluded from the analyses, yielding a final sample of 668 (308 girls and 360 boys; age M=17.2, SD=.72). P statements were signed by parents as well as school authorities. 2.2. Measures & The academic motivation scale (AMS28on three dimensions extrinsic (including external, introjected, and identified regulation subscales), intrinsic motivation (including intrinsic motivation to know, to accomplish things, and to experience stimulation subscales), and amotivation. All ratings were made on a 7-point The scale (1 - not at all true to 7 - very true). Chronb average scores were calculated for each dimension. The classroom environment was assessed with a 35-item version of What Is Happening In this Class Scale (WIHIC; Aldridge & Fraser, 2000). Two facets of the classroom environment were measured using five scales: two

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scales for peers support (Student Cohesiveness and Cooperation) and three scales assessing teacher support (Teacher Support, Task Orientation and Equity). Each scale contained 7 items in a 5-point Likert response format (from 1 almost never, to 5 - almost always). The Chronbach alpha coefficients of these dimensions ranged from .70 to .87. The average scores were calculated separately for teacher and peers support. Academic achievement was measured using the overall average grade across five subjects. The p grades for each of the five subjects (Romanian, Maths, English, History, and Geography) were collected. 2.3. Procedure Questionnaires assessing motivational orientation and classroom environment were administered at the beginning of the first semester. At the end of the semester, 3 to 4 months later, the students` grades were collected from the schools registers. 3. Results Table 1 presents the summary statistics and correlations among the studied variables. The results revealed gender differences on academic achievement, intrinsic motivation, amotivation, teacher and peers support, t(667)=10.65, 6.11, 6.11, 4.44, 2.27, all ps<.02. Girls reported better grades (M=8.43, SD=0.80), higher scores on intrinsic motivation (M=20.61, SD=4.28), teacher (M=88.14, SD=12.25) and peers support (M=58.39, SD=9.09), but lower scores on amotivation (M=7.20, SD=4.70) compared to boys (M=7.71, SD=0.93; M=18.58, SD=4.27; M=83.74, SD=13.19; M=56.78, SD=9.08; M=9.63, SD=5.56, respectively).
Table 1: Correlations, means and SDs of analysed variables 1 2 3 4 5 6 1. Am ** 2. IM -.32 3. EM -.35** .51** 4. TeS -.21** .41** .22** 5. PeS -.12** .23** .15** .54** 6. Ach -.16** .24** .02 .15** .15** Means 8.51 19.52 22.57 85.77 57.52 8.04 SD 5.32 4.39 4.14 12.94 9.11 0.95 Note: **p<.01, *p<.05, p<.09; Am-Amotivation, IM-Intrinsic Motivation, EM-Extrinsic Motivation, TeS -Teacher Support, PeS-Peers Support, Ach-Achievement; N=668. Table 2: Regression models predicting achievement Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Predictors Am IM EM TeS PeS AM x TeS AM x PeS IM x TeS IM x PeS EM x TeS EM x PeS
2

-.12** .29** -.16** .003 .10* -.02 -.02 .03 .00 .02 -.11*

R2 .08** .09*

.08** .01**

.01

.09*

A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypothesis (Cohen, Cohen, West & Aiken, 2003). The motivational orientation (IM, EM and Am) was entered in the equation in Step 1; classroom environment (TeS and PeS) was entered in Step 2; and the interactions between motivational orientation and classroom environment were entered in Step 3. The results indicated that intrinsic motivation positively predicted achievement, while Peers support positively predicted extrins achievement, while teacher support did not significantly predict achievement. The EM x PeS interaction was significant. The nature of this interaction is illustrated in Figure 1.

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Loredana Ruxandra Gherasim et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 46 (2012) 3931 3935

EM_L

EM_H

10 8 6 4 PeS_L PeS_H
Figure 1 Regression equation plotting in school achievement

4. Discussion The aim of our study was to explore whether the effect of classroom environment on school achievement was moderated by motivational orientation. Results indicated that all types of motivational orientation (intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation and amotivation) were significant predictors of achievement. Students who reported more intrinsic motivation, but less extrinsic motivation and amotivation, were more likely to report a higher level of achievement four months later. These findings confirm previous research results which highlighted that intrinsic motivation has a fostering effect on achievement (Bryan et al., 2011; Lepper at al., 2005), whereas students who are not intrinsically motivated, obtain a lower academic achievement (Fisher et al., 2009; Gottfried, 1985). In our study, the perception of peers support positively predicted school achievement. These results confirm the previous research that stresses the facilitating effects of peers support on grades (Ryan & Patrick, 2001; Wentzel et al., 2004). Contrary to our expectations, teacher support was not associated with grades. These results contradict al., 2010). However, our findings confirm the studies which show that high school students rely more on their peers than on the teacher as sources of support (Brown & Larson, 2009; Martinez et al., 2011). Our results showed that the effects of the classroom environment on achievement were moderated by extrinsic motivation. Considering peers support, present findings confirm the studies, demonstrating the positive impact of extrinsic motivation on short term performances (Lepper et al., 2005). Students with high peers support had the tendency to obtain better grades when their level of extrinsic motivation was lower. Contrary, students with low peers support obtained better grades when they had a high level of extrinsic motivation. These results suggest that these two factors, peers support and extrinsic motivation, lead together to better grades when they have different levels: a high level of peers support combined with a low level of extrinsic motivation and a low level of peers support associated with a high level of extrinsic motivation. Therefore, each factor compensates the low level of the other one in determining better academic results. Intrinsic motivation and amotivation did not moderate the effect of the perceived classroom environment on academic achievement. A possible explanation for these results is that intrinsic motivation guides individuals towards challenge, mastery or creativity independently of the classroom environment (Pintrich & Zusho, 2002). Amotivation could determine low academic achievement, independently from the support of the classroom (Gottfried, 1985; Fisher et al., 2009). Also, other potential factors can affect the relationship between the classroom environment and motivation, such as classroom structure, learning strategies or goals structure. Future research needs to assess how these omitted classroom environment variables could influence the relationships between teacher and peers support, academic motivation and achievement. Our results point to two possible directions of intervention within the classroom. Firstly, teachers need to focus on the development of adaptive, motivational orientations in their students, which lead to both short and long term academic success. Secondly, teachers must encourage supportive, social interactions between students, in order to promote intrinsic motivation and a higher level of achievement.

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Acknowledgements This work was supported by CNCSIS - UEFISCDI, project number 849 PN-II-IDEI code 2026/2008. References
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