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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
© 2012 PublishedbybyElsevier
Elsevier Ltd.
Ltd. Selection and/or peer review under responsibility of Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Uzunboylu
Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
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: gloreda@uaic.ro

1877-0428 © 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer review under responsibility of Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Uzunboylu
Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.06.174
3932 Loredana Ruxandra Gherasim et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 46 (2012) 3931 – 3935

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).
Researchers compared the teachers and peers influence on the learning outcomes and reported
mixed results. Some researchers found that high school students rely more heavily on their peers as sources of
support (Brown & Larson, 2009 -Myszak, & Nellis, 2011), while others endorse
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 (AMS- &

28- on 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
scale (1 - not at all true to 7 - very true). Chronb The
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
 Loredana Ruxandra Gherasim et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 46 (2012) 3931 – 3935 3933

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 Table 2: Regression models predicting achievement
2
1 2 3 4 5 6 Predictors R2
1. Am Step 1 Am -.12**
**
2. IM -.32 IM .29**
3. EM -.35** .51** EM -.16** .08** .08**
4. TeS -.21** .41** .22** Step 2 TeS .003
5. PeS -.12** .23** .15** .54** PeS .10* .01** .09*
6. Ach -.16** .24** .02 .15** .15** Step 3 AM x TeS -.02
Means 8.51 19.52 22.57 85.77 57.52 8.04 AM x PeS -.02
SD 5.32 4.39 4.14 12.94 9.11 0.95 IM x TeS .03
Note: **p<.01, *p<.05, p<.09; Am-Amotivation, IM-Intrinsic IM x PeS .00
Motivation, EM-Extrinsic Motivation, TeS -Teacher Support, PeS-Peers EM x TeS .02
Support, Ach-Achievement; N=668. EM x PeS -.11* .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
extrins Peers support positively predicted
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.
3934 Loredana Ruxandra Gherasim et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 46 (2012) 3931 – 3935

EM_L EM_H

10

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

Acknowledgements

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

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