Teacher-Student relationship, Attributional Style, and their Impact on English Performance of Chinese Students with Low Academic Achievement

Conference: The Asian Conference on Education (ACE2022)
Title: Teacher-Student relationship, Attributional Style, and their Impact on English Performance of Chinese Students with Low Academic Achievement
Stream: Primary & Secondary Education
Presentation Type: Live-Stream Presentation
Authors:
Cheng Cui, Xi’an Jiaotong-liverpool University, China
Rong Yan, Xi’an Jiaotong-liverpool University, China
Qian Wang, Xi’an Jiaotong-liverpool University, China

Abstract:

English has been one of the most important compulsory subjects in Chinese primary and secondary curricula. Understanding factors that impact students’ English performance carries critical value in research, since a certain student population struggles with English learning difficulties. So far, little is known about how teacher-student relationship and attributional style impact students’ English learning performance. Applying questionnaire and interview methods, this study sets itself to investigate this very issue. Thirty low-achieving and thirty regular students in a Chinese public secondary school participated in the study. The data did not report any significant differences in teacher-student relationships between the low-achieving and the regular students. However, significant differences were found in academic attributional styles. The regular student's attributions favouring internal and controllable positive attributions whereas the low-achieving students' attributions favouring external uncontrollable attributions. Based on Weiner's attribution theory, low-achieving students exhibited a prolonged negative attribution style, leading to a loss of motivation and the development of learned helplessness. The study also found that teacher-student relationships and attributions were significantly related to the low-achieving students’ English performance. The study suggests that teachers need to pay close attention to their relationships with low-achieving students and guide them to make more positive academic attributions. Such practice would increase low-performing students’ learning impetus; therefore, improve their academic performance.

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