The Associations Between Student Perceptions of the Classroom Psycho-Social Learning Environment and Motivation to Learn Chinese

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations between students’ perception of their classroom psychosocial learning environment and motivation to learn Mandarin Chinese, which can support teachers in creating a good classroom environment. The students took two surveys (Likert scale and open-ended questions) that measured their perception of the classroom environment and the learning motivation. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, percentage) and inferential statistics (simple correlation, multiple regression, and two sample t-test) were used to analyze the quantitative data. The open-ended questions were coded and categorized based on the student responses. There were statistically significant associations between student perception and motivation for learning. The three scales of Task Orientation, Involvement, and Equity seemed to influence students the most to learn. The Task Orientation had the strongest relationship with student motivation. Moreover, the results of gender difference showed that only Task Orientation was significantly different between the two subgroups.