The Interplay of Social Support and Vocational Education Perceptions on Academic Motivation: Insights from Chinese Vocational College

The students’ academic motivation has been identified as a significant factor influencing their performance and success in educational setting. Thus, it is significant to examine how the students’ perceptions of the educational system and their social support could contribute to their academic progression. Hence, this study aims to investigate the relationship between perceived social support, perceptions of vocational education and academic motivation among vocational college students in Guizhou, China. Employing a correlational research design, this study used convenience sampling to survey 408 students from a vocational college in Guizhou, China. Data were collected through online questionnaires comprising the Academic Motivation Scale, the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale and Image of Vocational and Educational Training Scale. The results of the study show that the overall academic motivation, perceptions of vocational education and social support were recorded at a moderate level. Moreover, the findings from multiple regression analysis indicated academic motivation is significantly influenced by the perceptions of vocational education and perceived social support among vocational school students. The results underline the necessity of concerted efforts to enhance students’ academic motivation through improving the image and perceived value of the vocational education as well as strengthen the support systems for students.