Does Classroom Characteristic Truly Stimulate Learning Motivation and Performance? Reporting from Malaysian Undergraduates’ Perception

Siti Fardaniah Abdul-Aziz,Fazilah Idris,Arena Che Kasim,Jamiah Manap,Noordeyana Tambi,Mohd Nasir Selamat

doi:10.5539/ass.v11n15p84

Abstract

Some researchers find that learning intervention can stimulate learning motivation and performance through classroom characteristic. Ironically, research assessing classroom characteristic that can be used as potential learning intervention have received little attention especially among Malaysian undergraduates. Hence, the aim of this study is to determine the mediation effect of motivation to learn on the relationship between classroom characteristic and students’ grade performance. A number of 173 undergraduate students in a large Malaysian’s public university were taken as sample; data were analysed using SPSS and AMOS. Findings indicated that teaching method, followed by lecturer quality, and classroom management were significantly correlated with students’ motivation to learn and performance; wherein, motivation to learn fully mediated the relationship between the classroom characteristics and students’ grade. This has verified that classroom characteristic truly stimulate learning motivation and performance; therefore, it can be used as potential learning intervention.

Highlights

Learning process for undergraduate students has been replaced by andragogy from pedagogy approach; in which, andragogy approach of learning relies on the person’s self-concept, experience, readiness to learn, orientation to learn, and motivation to learn (Knowles, 1980)
The aim of this study is to determine the mediation effect of motivation to learn on the relationship between classroom characteristic and students’ grade performance
Findings indicated that teaching method, followed by lecturer quality, and classroom management were significantly correlated with students’ motivation to learn and performance; wherein, motivation to learn fully mediated the relationship between the classroom characteristics and students’ grade

Summary

Introduction

Learning process for undergraduate students has been replaced by andragogy from pedagogy approach; in which, andragogy approach of learning relies on the person’s self-concept, experience, readiness to learn, orientation to learn, and motivation to learn (Knowles, 1980). Students choose what they want to learn, learn using their experience, learn when they are ready, learn something that can be used for life, and learn only if they are motivated to learn. According to Taylor-Sims (2011), several factors can affect students’ motivation including parents’ characteristic, student’s ability and characteristics, and classroom characteristic. Since parents and student’s characteristics cannot be controlled; it can be seen that classroom characteristic is the most important factor to stimulate students’ motivation. Lecturer should use appropriate classroom characteristic as an intervention to stimulate motivation to learn and subsequently increase the students’ performance

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion