MOTIVATION AND ACHIEVEMENT: IS THERE AN EAST ASIAN MODEL?

The importance of motivation in learning has been widely recognized. However, due to its multidimensional and complex nature, it appears difficult to synthesize research findings on motivation across studies. Heated debates about the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation on learning and their interaction have been going on since the terms started to be used. Moreover, cultural difference acts as another crucial factor in the field. Using the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Studies 2003 eighth grade mathematics data, this study scrutinized the relationship between pleasure-oriented (intrinsic-related) and productivity-oriented (extrinsic-related) motivation and how they collectively affect students’ academic performance in East Asian education systems compared with those from Australia, England, The Netherlands, and the USA. The study found that both types of motivation contributed to East Asian students’ mathematics achievement in an additive fashion, whereas extrinsic-related motivation appeared to have a detrimental effect on their Western counterparts’ learning. Possible reasons were explored from a cultural perspective.     

Editorial Comment

Editorial Introduction

Editorial Comment     

Learning outside the laboratory: Ability and non-ability influences on acquiring political knowledge

The purpose of this study was to identify sources of individual differences in knowledge acquired under natural conditions. Through its direct influence on background knowledge, crystallized intelligence (Gc) had a major impact on political knowledge, acquired over a period of more than 2 months, but there were independent influences of personality and interest factors, via exposure to political information through activities like reading the newspaper. We also found sex differences in political knowledge, favoring males, and these differences could not be explained in terms of any of the predictor variables we modeled. We discuss theoretical and practical implications of the results.     

The Environmental Movement: Consensus,Conflict, and Change

Given the growth in scuba diving activities and the importance of environmental education programs to alleviate the potential impacts on coral reef ecosystems, there is a need to better understand the diving community, its environmental knowledge, and subsequent behavioral actions. The purpose of this study was to explore the role or influence of specialization in scuba diving (as a moderator and mediator) on the relationship between marine-based environmental knowledge and behavior. Four hypotheses were formulated and empirically tested. Data from 370 scuba divers were collected (May-September 2002) in the St. Petersburg/Sarasota region of southwestern Florida. Marine-based environmental knowledge (11 items) and behaviors (16 items) were employed, along with recreation specialization (17 items) adapted from the literature. Specialization in scuba diving acted as a strong partial mediator but failed to be significant when tested as a moderator. Among scuba divers, marine-based knowledge did predict overall and specific proenvironmental behaviors; however, the level of specialization played a strong role in mediating the relationship.