Motivational resources, personal characteristics, and grades: an investigation into academic achievement in the UAE.

Abstract

According to Hattie (2003), student differences account for approximately 50 per cent of the variance in academic achievement. In the current study, ‘student differences’ was disaggregated and two broad categories of predictors, personal characteristics and motivational resources, were formed to investigate academic performance in an EFL preparatory program at a tertiary level institution in the UAE (United Arab Emirates). The category of personal characteristics consisted of SES and gender; the category of motivational resources consisted of psychological variables drawn from Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1985, 2000). Two studies with two separate cohorts were conducted. In study 1 (N=166), participants had achieved an overall English language proficiency of Band 5 in the IELTS exam, but had failed to gain a minimum score of Band 5 in one of the sub-skills (Reading, Writing, Listening, or Speaking) that compose the overall IELTS score. In study 2 (N=80), participants had failed to achieve the minimum required overall score of Band 5. Participants in study 2 were examined twice: once at the start and once at the end of term. Results indicated that the correlations between motivational constructs in both studies were consistent with the relevant literature. However, in correlation and regression analyses, the direction of the relationships between SES and grades, and between autonomous motives and grades, were contrary to expectations. Recommendations for practice and potential research agendas are discussed.