Cultural Diversity in Academic Motivation: Universality and Model Complexity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63385/cces.v1i1.146Keywords:
Academic Motivation, Cultural Diversity, Growth Orientation, Model Complexity, B-ESEMAbstract
This contribution centres on two interconnected conjectures. The first posits that motivational—and the way we model what influences motivation— can be significantly enhanced by integrating the concept of growth orientation. This integration enables to connect growth mindset frameworks and motivational theories through straightforward antecedent-consequence models. The second conjecture is that simpler models tend to vary less and are more stable across different groups compared to more complex models. An example brings these two conjectures together by analysing cultural differences in academic motivation. It compares three models using data from international students studying mathematics and statistics: (1) a comprehensive growth orientation model incorporating both global and specific factors, estimated using Bifactor Exploratory Structural Equation Modelling (B-ESEM); (2) a simplified version of this model with growth orientation as the sole antecedent factor; and (3) a Structural Equation Model (SEM) using specific factors as antecedents. In the illustrative example, the degree of cultural diversity in motivational levels is found to be relatively small, comparable in magnitude to gender differences. However, more complex antecedent-consequence models can easily lead to the conclusion that significant diversity exists between cultural groups. Our findings challenge common assumptions about the cultural specificity of academic motivation models and highlight a promising yet often overlooked factor for building robust explanations of learning motivation: students’ growth orientation.
References
[1] McInerney, D.M., 2023. Does One Size Fit All? Cultural Perspectives on School Motivation. In: Bong, M., Reeve, J.M., Kim, S. (Eds.). Motivation Science. Oxford Academic: New York, NY, USA. pp. 77–92. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197662359.003.0013
[2] Liem, G.A.D., McInerney, D., 2022. Academic motivation: The universal and culturally specific. In: Good, T.L., McCaslin, M. (Eds.). Educational Psychology Section Routledge Encyclopaedia of Education. Taylor & Francis: New York, NY, USA.
[3] Soenens, B., Vansteenkiste, M., 2023. Vitamins for Psychological Growth. In: Bong, M., Reeve, J.M., Kim, S. (Eds.). Motivation Science. Oxford Academic: New York, NY, USA. pp. 94–99.
[4] Ryan, R.M., Deci, E.L., 2000. Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivations: Classic Definitions and New Directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology. 25(1), 54–67. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1999.1020
[5] Dweck, C.S., 1999. Self-theories: Their role in motivation, personality, and development. Routledge: London, UK.
[6] Morin, A.J.S., Arens, A.K., Marsh, H.W., 2015. A Bifactor Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling Framework for the Identification of Distinct Sources of Construct-Relevant Psychometric Multidimensionality. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal. 23(1), 116–139. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10705511.2014.961800
[7] Morin, A.J.S., Myers, N.D., Lee, S., 2020. Modern Factor Analytic Techniques. In: Tenenbaum, G., Eklund, R.C. (Eds.). Handbook of sport psychology, 4th ed. John Wiley & Sons: Hoboken,NJ, USA. pp. 1044–1073. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119568124.ch51
[8] Bostwick, K.C.P., Martin, A.J., Collie, R.J., et al., 2019. Growth orientation predicts gains in middle and high school students’ mathematics outcomes over time. Contemporary Educational Psychology. 58, 213–227. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2019.03.010
[9] Bostwick, K.C.P., Martin, A.J., Collie, R.J., et al., 2022. Motivation in context: A multilevel examination of growth orientation across one year. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology. 81, 101435. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2022.101435
[10] Bostwick, K.C.P., Burns, E.C., Martin, A.J., et al., 2024. A Bifactor Exploratory Structural Equation Model of Students’ Growth-Focused Motivation. Journal of Experimental Education. 28, 1–23. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00220973.2024.2329105
[11] Martin, A.J., 2024. Growth goals: A review of the construct, predictors, consequences, and intervention. In: Elliot, A.J. (ed.), Advances in motivation science. Elsevier: Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Volume 11, pp. 123-169. DOI: https://doi.org//10.1016/bs.adms.2024.03.001
[12] Martin, A.J., Burns, E.C., Collie, R.J., et al., 2021. Growth goal setting in high school: A large-scale study of perceived instructional support, personal background attributes, and engagement outcomes. Journal of Educational Psychology. 114(4), 752–771. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000682
[13] Maehr, M.L., 1974. Culture and achievement motivation. American Psychologist. 29(12), 887–896. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/h0037521
[14] Hofstede, G., 1980. Culture’s Consequences: International Differences in Work-related Values. Sage Publications: Beverly Hills, CA, USA.
[15] Hofstede, G., 2017. Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind. McGraw-Hill: Maidenhead, UK.
[16] Hofstede, G., 2001. Culture’s consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and organizations across nations, 2nd ed. Sage Publications: Thousand Oaks, CA, USA.
[17] Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G.J., Minkov, M., 2010. Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind, 3rd ed. McGraw-Hill: New York, NY, USA; London, UK.
[18] Hofstede, G., 1986. Cultural Differences in Teaching and Learning. International Journal of Intercultural Relations. 10(3), 301–320.
[19] House, R.J., Hanges, P.J., Javidan, M., et al., 2004. Culture, leadership, and Organizations: The GLOBE Study of 62 Societies. Sage Publications: Thousand Oaks, CA, USA.
[20] Bronfenbrenner, U., 1994. Ecological models of human development. In: Husen, T., Postlethwaite, T.N. (Eds.). International encyclopedia of education, 2nd ed, Vol 3. Pergamon Press: Oxford, UK. pp. 1643–1647.
[21] Martin, A.J., Anderson, J., Bobis, J., et al., 2012. Switching on and switching off in mathematics: An ecological study of future intent and disengagement among middle school students. Journal of Educational Psychology. 104(1), 1–18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025988
[22] Liem, G.A.D., Elliot, A.D., 2018. Sociocultural influences on achievement goal adoption and regulation: A goal complex perspective. In: Liem, G.A.D., McInerney, D. (Eds.). Big theories revisited 2: A volume of research on sociocultural influences on motivation and learning. Information Age Publishing: Charlotte, NC, USA. pp. 41–67.
[23] Martin, A.J., 2006. Personal bests (PBs): A proposed multidimensional model and empirical analysis. British Journal of Educational Psychology. 76(4), 803–825. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1348/000709905X55389
[24] Elliot, A., Murayama, K., Kobeisy, A., et al., 2014. Potential-based achievement goals. British Journal of Educational Psychology. 85(2), 192–206. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12051
[25] Martin, A.J., 2011. Personal Best (PB) Approaches to Academic Development: Implications for Motivation and Assessment. Educational Practice and Theory. 33(1), 93–99.
[26] Blackwell, L.S., Trzesniewski, K.H., Dweck, C.S., 2007. Implicit theories of intelligence predict achievement across an adolescent transition: A longitudinal study and an intervention. Child Development. 78(1), 246–263.
[27] Dweck, C.S., Molden, D.C., 2005. Self-theories: Their impact on competence motivation and acquisition. In: Elliot, A.J., Dweck, C.S. (eds). Handbook of competence and motivation. The Guilford Press: New York, NY, USA. pp. 122–140.
[28] Dweck, C.S., Yeager, D.S., 2019. Mindsets: A view from two eras. Perspectives on Psychological Science. 14(3), 481–496. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691618804166
[29] Elliot, A.J., Murayama, K., Pekrun, R., 2011. A 3 × 2 achievement goal model. Journal of Educational Psychology. 103(3), 632–648. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023952
[30] Dweck, C.S., Leggett. E.L., 1988. A social-cognitive approach to motivation and personality. Psychological Review 95(2), 256–273. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.95.2.256
[31] Blackwell, L.S., 2002. Psychological mediators of student achievement during the transition to junior high school: The role of implicit theories [Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation]. New York, NY, USA: Columbia University.
[32] Ratelle, C.F., Guay, F., Vallerand, R.J., et al., 2007. Autonomous, controlled, and amotivated types of academic motivation: A person-oriented analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology. 99(4), 734–746.
[33] Vallerand, R.J., Pelletier, L.G., Blais, M.R., et al., 1992. The Academic Motivation Scale: A Measure of Intrinsic, Extrinsic, and Amotivation in Education. Educational and Psychological Measurement. 52(4), 1003–1017. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164492052004025
[34] Tempelaar, D., 2002. Simplicity in a behavioural, non-parametric context. In: Zellner, A., Keuzenkamp, A., McAleer, M. (Eds.). Simplicity, Inference and Modelling: Keeping it Sophisticatedly Simple. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK. pp. 227–241.
[35] Buckingham Shum, S., Deakin Crick, R., 2012. Learning Dispositions and Transferable Competencies: Pedagogy, Modelling and Learning Analytics. In: Buckingham Shum, S., Gasevic, D., Ferguson, R. (Eds.). Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Learning Analytics and Knowledge. ACM: New York, NY, USA. pp. 92–101.
[36] Tempelaar, D., Rienties, B., Mittelmeier, J., et al., 2018. Student profiling in a dispositional learning analytics application using formative assessment. Computers in Human Behavior. 78, 408–420. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.08.010
[37] Martin, A.J., 2014. Implicit theories about intelligence and growth (personal best) goals: Exploring reciprocal relationships. British Journal of Educational Psychology. 85(2), 207–223. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12038
[38] Tempelaar, D.T., Rienties, B., Giesbers, B., et al., 2014. The Pivotal Role of Effort Beliefs in Mediating Implicit Theories of Intelligence and Achievement Goals and Academic Motivations. Social Psychology of Education. 18(1), 101–120. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-014-9281-7
[39] Grant, H., Dweck, C.S., 2003. Clarifying Achievement Goals and Their Impact. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 85(3), 541–553. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.3.541
[40] Martin, A.J., 2008. Enhancing student motivation and engagement: The effects of a multidimensional intervention. Contemporary Educational Psychology. 33(2), 239–269. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2006.11.003
[41] Martin, A.J., 2005. Student motivation and engagement scale: test user manual. AJ Martin Research Pty Ltd: Summer Hill, N.S.W.
[42] Martin, A.J., 2007. Examining a multidimensional model of student motivation and engagement using a construct validation approach. British Journal of Educational Psychology. 77(2), 413–440. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1348/000709906X118036
[43] Morin, A., Marsh, H., Nagengast, B., 2013. Exploratory structural equation modeling. In: Hancock, G., Mueller, R. (Eds.). Structural equation modeling: A second course, 2nd ed. Information Age Publishing: Charlotte, NC, USA. pp. 395–436.
[44] Howard, M.C., Hoffman, M.E., 2017. Variable-Centered, Person-Centered, and Person-Specific Approaches. Organizational Research Methods. 21(4), 846–876. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428117744021
[45] Morin, A., Asparouhov, T., 2018. Webnote: Estimation of a hierarchical Exploratory Structural Equation Model (ESEM) using ESEM-within-CFA. Substantive Methodological Synergy Research Laboratory: Montreal, Canada. Available from: https://www.statmodel.com/examples/webnote.shtml (cited 30 May 2025).
[46] Tempelaar, D., 2025. The unrecognized potential of potential‐based achievement goals. British Journal of Educational Psychology. 95(2), 421–445. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12728
Downloads
PDF
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Dirk Tempelaar
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
