Have Student Motivations and Their Links to Engagement Shifted? A Cross-National Comparison of Chinese and American Students in 2000 and 2018

This study examines whether student motivation and its associations with student engagement have changed over time in China and the United States. Using two cross-sectional samples collected in 2000 and 2018, the project aims to assess both cross-national differences and temporal stability or change in motivational profiles and their links to engagement. Purpose: First, it investigates whether the motivational patterns and academic engagement have shifted between 2000 and 2018 in the two countries. Second, it examines whether the associations between different types of motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic) and student engagement have changed over time within each country. Third, it explores whether the associations between motivation and engagement differ in the two countries. Expected outcomes: the study hypothesizes that EM among Chinese students has declined significantly from 2000 to 2018. EM is expected to show a positive association with student engagement in 2000; however, this association is predicted to weaken over time and may become non-significant or negative by 2018. For IM and EM in the US, no directional hypotheses are specified. Related analysis will be treated as exploratory. We also predict that the association of EM on engagement will be moderated by country location. Such that the association of EM will be negative in the US but positive in China (or if it is negative in China, the negative association will be significantly weaker).