中小学生学习动机与学业绩效关系研究

中小学生学习动机与学业绩效关系研究

A Study of the Relationship between Learning Motivation and Their Academic Achievements for Middle and Primary Students

内 容 提 要

学习动机（Learning Motivation）是指直接推动学生进行学习的一种内部动力，是激励和指引学生进行学习的一种需要。学业绩效是指学生的学习成绩和效能。

中小学教育教学实践中，如何激发学生学习动机、提高学生学业绩效、促进学生全面发展，越来越受到家庭、学校、社会的普遍关注。本文在整合学习动机理论的基础上，研究中小学生学习动机的特征及与其学业绩效的相互关系和发展规律，并提出了相关的教育建议。这既有利于中小学教育教学实践，有效激发学生学习动机，提高学业绩效；也有利于家庭和社会对中小学生学习的进一步关注,具有一定的理论价值和重要的现实意义。

综观国内外关于学生学习动机与学业绩效的研究，中小学生学习动机与学业绩效关系的研究是教育学、心理学一个非常重要的研究课题，大多以某一动机理论为基础，从学生学习动机的不同维度、不同角度、不同背景出发，力图发现学生学习动机与学习绩效之间的关系。这些研究成果为进一步的研究提供了很好的基础和视角。国内对奥苏贝尔学习理论在教育学领域的研究颇多（“同化”、“先行组织者”、“有意义学习”等），但是，我们目前尚未发现有应用其学习动机驱力理论，研究中小学生学习动机特征、发展规律及其与学生学业绩效关系的实证研究。因此，运用奥苏贝尔学习动机驱力理论，研究中小学生学习动机的特征，探讨中小学生学习动机与学生学业绩效之间的关系，也正是本研究的一次新的尝试。

一、研究结论

本研究以奥苏贝尔学习动机驱力理论为基础，自编中小学生学习动机问卷。对湘潭（城市）、娄底（农村）部分中小学

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10、11等9个年级的1134名中小学生进行了问卷调查。研究结果表明：

1.中小学生的性别、城乡差异以及父母文化程度等因素影响其学习动机。从性别因素看，中小学生的学习动机，不管是认知内驱力、自我提高内驱力还是附属内驱力，女生高于男生；从城乡差异看，城市学生高于农村学生；从父母文化程度看，不论是父亲的文化程度，还是母亲的文化程度，父母文化程度对子女学习动机的影响明显。

2.中小学生学习动机及各驱力的水平随着年级的升高存在下降趋势。同时，中小学生（小学三年级到高中二年级）学习动机的发展呈现出阶段性差异的特征。在小学阶段的三年级到五年级有波动，先降后升，而且特征明显；在中学阶段，初中三年级到高中一年级有略微上升趋势，然后下降。

3.中小学生学习动机与学业绩效的关系表现为显著正相关。其相关性表现为：整体性相关；阶段性相关；年级相关。整体性相关表明：从小学、初中到高中，学生学习动机以及认知内驱力、自我提高内驱力以及附属内驱力对学业绩效的影响力是不一样的，即认知内驱力最强、自我提高内驱力次之，附属内驱力最弱。阶段性相关以及年级相关表现在：小学阶段，

三、四年级学习动机与学业绩效有显著正相关，五年级存在不同程度的相关，六年级只有自我提高内驱力与其学业绩效有显著正相关。初中学阶段，学习动机与学业绩效均呈显著正相关。初中一年级学习动机与学业绩效有显著正相关，初中二年级有学习动机、认知内驱力、自我提高内驱力与其绩效有显著的正相关，初中三年级只有学习动机、认知内驱力与其绩效有显著的正相关。高中阶段，只有高一年级的认知内驱力与其绩效有显著的正相关。同时，中小学生不同年级学业绩效的低绩效组与高绩效组对学习动机及各维度的作用与影响上也是非常明显的。

二、原因分析

1.中小学生学习动机性别差异的原因。有的研究认为，传统中国社会和文化中，女孩比男孩更顺从家长和老师的教育和期望，加之女生在生理和心理上早熟于男生，在学习中易于体现出积极的学习动机。我们认为，造成中小学生学习动机女生明显地高于男生的主要原因是由于男、女生成熟期的差异所致。生理成熟期的差异表现为女生较男生早（如性成熟，生理学上认为，女生往往比男生早8-12个月甚至更多），这种差异可能导致中小学生在学习心理、学习认知以及学习动机和学习行为上的差异。

2.中小学生学习动机城乡差异的原因主要在于：其一，就学习的环境和条件而言，城乡学校的差别是明显的。其二，相对城市学生而言，农村学生中的“隔代教育”现象非常普遍，这是造成中小学生学习动机差别的主要原因。所谓隔代教育，指的是学生在学校教育之外，学生不是由父母而是由祖辈监护时所受到的教育，如父母外出工作或离异等。其三，家庭关系的影响。周爱保等人的研究[3]认为，在我国的家庭关系上，父母更多的是从生活方面对孩子的关心，在学习方面大多只涉及到孩子学习目标的建立等宏观方面的影响，而对其具体的学习过程较少关注。我们认为，这方面的差异，农村家庭尤显突出。

3.不同文化程度的父母对子女所采用的教养方式及态度是导致学生学习动机差异的主要原因。首先，文化程度较高的父母更多采用的是以情感温暖和关爱的养育方式，即使子女在学习和时候上遇到困难，父母大多能给他（她）以积极的支持，并能以“朋友”的身份与他（她）进行思想交流。文化程度较低的父母则更多的是采用专制型的教养方式，他们在对子女的教育过程中，特别是孩子遇到困难时，更多的是采用比较、讽刺、否认甚至严厉惩罚的方式，这种教养方式不利于孩子学习心理的健康发展，影响孩子良好的学习动机的形成。其次，父母文化程度高对孩子学习的经验性影响更大。

4.中小学生学习动机发展阶段性差异的原因。学习动机作为直接推动学生进行学习活动的内部心理动力，表现的是学生复杂而有规律的的心理现象和机制。如：中小学生生理、心理发展成熟的程度、水平及规律等。第一，从我国青少年思维发展的特点来看，已有研究表明[4]，我国小学生思维发展“随年级的增高及不同性质的智力活动而发展变化”，“小学生思维发展的关键年龄，一般在四年级（10-11岁），或确切点说是三至五年级之间”。第二，从我国青少年意志发展特点来看，小学生意志的自觉性、独断性、果断性是低水平的，意志品质的发展是不稳定的，“小学三年级迅速呈下降趋势，……

四、五年级出现增强现象”。因此，我们认为，小学生学习动机发展的波动规律也反映了小学生思维及意志发展的特点和规律。

三、教育建议

学习动机作为推动学生进行学习活动的内部心理动力，学习动机的形成和发展受环境和教育及中小学生自身等诸多因素的影响和制约。中小学生学习动机与学业绩效的关系具有显著正相关。同时，学习动机是可以教育和培养的。根据本研究结果，提出了相关教育建议。

小学阶段：认知内驱力、自我提高内驱力、附属内驱力以及学习动机在学生学习活动中的表现力最强，因此，要注意保护和充分发挥他（她）们已有的动机。

初中阶段：一是提高中学生对学习价值的认识，引导他们对学习的正确理解；二是注意在教学情境中利用各种资源激发他们对学习的兴趣，使他们自觉主动地学习；三是关注学生学习动机的分化，针对学生的个别差异，激发学生的学习能力感。

高中阶段：针对高中学生学习动机会受更多的更复杂的因素影响，如升学与就业、社会交往以及来自各方面的学习压力会更大，因此，提高高中学生的抱负水平，激发学习动机；引导高中学生专心致至学习，不受外界干扰，维持学习动机；激励他（她）们对学习的自信心，做到学习有目标、有计划。这是激发他（她）们的学习动机，提高其学业绩效的有效途径。

同时，“隔代教育”现象不只是农村学生教育的问题，而应成为学校教育以及全社会共同关注的问题。

关键词：中小学生 学习动机 动机驱力理论 学业绩效

Abstract

Learning motivation refers to an internal drive, which directly promotes students’ learning. It is also a need to stimulate and guide students’ learning. The academic achievement means the students’ learning results and proficiency.

Among the teaching practices in middle and primary schools, the families, schools and society are more and more concerned with how to stimulate the students’ learning motivation, improve their academic achievements and promote an all-round development. This thesis, based on the theories of learning motivation, studies the characteristics of the students’ learning motivation in middle and primary schools. It also studies the relationship between the characteristics of learning motivation and the students’ academic achievements and the development law as well. Furthermore, it puts forward some suggestions for education. This study is of much help for teaching practices in middle and primary schools, effectively stimulating the students’ learning motivation and improving their academic achievements. It is also of help for attracting the attention of the families and the whole society towards the learning of students in middle and primary schools. It is of both theoretical value and important significance of reality.

It is a very important topic in pedagogy and psychology to study the relationship between the students’ learning motivation and their academic achievements. Taking an overview of such studies both at home and abroad, most of the studies, based on one learning motivation theory, attempt to discuss the relationship between the students’ learning motivation and their learning results, from a variety of dimensions, perspectives and backgrounds of learning motivation. Such research results have provided a very good basis and perspectives for further studies. Domestic scholars have conducted researches of D. P. Ausubel’s learning motivation theory (such as “assimilation”, “anticipating organizer” and “meaningful learning”) in the field of pedagogy. However, no researches of substantial evidence have been found in the discussion of the characteristics of the students’ learning motivation, the development law and its relationship by applying Ausubel’s theory of learning motivation drive. Therefore, this study is an attempt of integrating the scholars’ previous researches of learning theories as well as an exploration of the substantial evidence to discuss the relationship between Ausubel’s theory of learning motive and middle schools and primary school students’ academic achievements.

I. Research conclusions

Based on Ausubel’s theory of learning motive drive, i.e. cognitive drive, ego-enhancement drive and affiliative drive, the author have made a questionnaire concerning the learning motivation of the students in middle and primary schools and issued it to 1134 students in middle and primary schools of both Xiangtan and Loudi cities. Research results show:

I). The factors affecting the students’ learning motive in middle schools and primary schools include gender, location in urban or rural areas, and the education background of the students’ parents. Regarding the gender, female students score higher than male ones in cognitive drive, ego-enhancement drive and affiliated drive. In other words, female students, with obvious difference, are better than male ones in learning motive. Regarding the location in urban and rural areas, urban students obviously score higher than those in rural area. Regarding the education background, parents have much affected their children’s learning motive. Besides, the education backgrounds of the parents are proportional to the students’ learning motive, i.e. if the parents receive higher education, their children’s learning motive tends to be more stimulated.

II). The students’ learning motive and the levels of the drives tend to descend with the school year being upgraded. At the same time, there shows stage differences in the development of the learning motive for the students in middle schools and primary schools (from Grade 3 in primary school to Grade 2 in senior middle school). Fluctuation in learning motive has been found from Grade 3 to Grade 5 in primary schools, showing a tendency of down and up with clear characteristics. At the stage of middle school, the learning motive from Grade 3 in junior middle school to Grade 1 in senior middle school goes slightly upward, and then downward.

III). The relationship between the students learning motive and their academic achievements are clearly relative. The relativity lies in its integration, stage and grade. Meanwhile, the lower and higher achievement groups have clear impact over the learning motive and the dimensions.

II. Analysis of the causes

I). Difference in learning motivation lies in the students’ genders. Some studies suggest that in traditional Chinese society and culture, female students tend to be more obedient to their parents and teachers’ education and expectation. Furthermore, female students are more psychologically and physiologically mature than male ones. The former ones show more enthusiastic learning motivation in learning. That female students’ learning motivation is higher than male ones, we believe, is caused by the their mature period, in which female students are earlier than male ones (e.g. regarding the sex maturity, female students are 8 to 12 months earlier than male ones, according to psychological theories). It is such difference in genders that leads to the students’ different learning psychology, cognition, motivation and act.

II). Difference in learning motivation lies in the students’ location in urban or rural areas. Firstly, as far as the learning environment and condition concerned, the difference in schools of urban and rural areas is obvious. Secondly, comparing with the urban students, the phenomenon of “children at home uneducated by their parents but by their grandparents instead” in rural areas are common. This is the main reason, which results in the difference in learning motivation. The so-called phenomenon of “children at home uneducated by their parents but by their grandparents instead” means that outside the school, students are supervised and educated by their grandparents instead of by their parents, who work outside their residence place or get divorced. Lastly, families may influence the students’ learning motivation. Researches done by Mr. Zhou Ai-bao[3] propose that in Chinese families, parents show more care about their children’s life instead of about their specific learning process, while parents show more influence over their children’s learning target.

III). Parents with different education background adopt different educational methods and attitudes towards their children’s learning. Parents with higher education background educate their children with warmth and care. Even if their children meet with difficulties in learning, parents give them sincere support and communicate with them as a “friend”. Parents with little education background adopt autocratic method to educate their children. Especially when their children meet with difficulties in learning, they are inclined to mock, negate or take severe discipline towards their children. In this way, their children’s learning psychology and motivation are much influenced. Besides, parents with higher education background can offer experiences for their children’s learning.

IV). Difference in learning motivation exists in the developmental stages. As the internal psychological drive to directly enhance students’ learning behavior, learning motivation is seen complicated and regular psychology and mechanism, e.g. the students’ physiological and psychological level and law. One the one hand, as far as the thinking development is concerned, researches[4] show that “the Chinese primary pupils’ thinking development is changed with learning grades and different intellectual behavior”, and “the crucial stage for the primary pupils to develop their thinking is generally at the Grade 4 (aged 10-

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1), or to be exact, between Grade3 and Grade 4.” On the other hand, as far as the students’ willpower development is concerned, primary pupils are less conscious, courageous and resolute, and their willpower personality is unstably developed. Therefore, we think that the feature and law of their development in thinking and willpower embody the fluctuation of primary pupils’ learning motivation.

III. Suggestions for education

Being the internal psychological drive to directly enhance students’ learning behavior, the formation and development of learning motivation have been influenced and restrained by many factors, such as the environment, education and students themselves. The relationship between learning motivation of middle and primary students and their academic achievements is proportionally relative. Meanwhile, learning motivation can be trained and cultivated. In light with my research results, this paper puts forward some suggestions for education.

At the stage of primary school: cognitive drive, ego-enhancement drive, affiliative drive and learning motivation are strongly demonstrated in students’ learning. Thus, we should protect their motivation and give a full play to it.

At the stage of junior middle school: firstly, we should enhance the students’ recognition of learning value and guide them to have a correct understanding of learning; Secondly, we should stimulate their interest of learning by using a variety of resources in teaching context, so that they will learn actively and consciously; and lastly, we should pay much attention to students’ differentiation of learning motivation and improve their learning competence according to their individual difference.

At the stage of senior middle school: students’ learning motivation is influenced by much more complex factors, such as pressures from entering and seeking an employment, social communications and from other aspects. Therefore, we should enhance their ambition and activate their learning motivation. We should guide the students to concentrate themselves on learning and keep their learning motivation with no interference from the outside world. We should also encourage them to be confident, targeted and well-planned in learning. The above suggestions are the effective way to stimulate their learning motivation and improve their academic achievements.

Furthermore, the phenomenon of “children at home uneducated by their parents but by their grandparents instead” is not the issue merely existed in the rural students. Such phenomenon should be concerned jointly by the school education and the whole society.

Key words: students in middle schools and primary schools; learning motive; theory of learning motive drive; academic achievements