The Relationship between Learning Motivation and Achievement among Rural Senior High School Graduates

Although volume of previous empirical studies has explored motivation and performance related topics, few really examined samples in remote hinterland rural regions. Adopted a multi-theoretical model, the current study aims to explore rural senior high school graduates’ foreign language (FL) motivation and its relationship with their FL achievement. Based on the convenient sampling methods, a total of 133 high school graduates from a very remote rural area in Zigui County, Yichang City, Hubei Province completed a questionnaire to report their FL motivation, and their English achievement was assessed through the grade of College Entrance Exam (Gaokao) obtained at the end of the questionnaire. The questionnaire results showed that students were motivated by instrumental and integrative reasons, and they also experienced significant external social pressure. The multiple linear regression analysis and correlation coefficients revealed that the variables were strongly related to FL achievement. Specifically, instrumental, and integrative motivation together accounted for 13.1% of the total variance in their FL achievement. Surprisingly, FL learning experience and social influences, such as teachers and parents, did not directly predict their FL achievement. This cross-sectional study was uniquely tailored to a rural context and offers practical and pedagogical insights for rural education in China as well as other countries with similar situations; however, more diverse samples and longitudinal studies are recommended for future research.