Impact of Annual Household Income on the Learning Motivation of Middle School Students

College of Letters and Science, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, Davis, United States of America

^* Corresponding author: exmchen@ucdavis.edu

Abstract

Since household income affects educational resources, extracurricular activities, and the learning environment, it affects a student's academic motivation and achievement. Chinese researchers examined how annual household income affects middle school pupils' studying motivation. This study thereby discovers the complex interaction between economic conditions and educational motivation to get an understanding. 166 students were surveyed using the Academic Motivation Scale to assess motivation across income brackets. Income positively correlated with motivation: lower-income students were less driven for success and achievement than higher-income households. Using educational level and family income as explanatory variables, regression analysis shows that father motivation is significantly predicted by the control variable (standardized regression coefficient = 0.232, p=0.018 < 0.05), while maternal education does not affect motivation. Meanwhile, students from higher-income families were more driven to succeed and avoid failure. The study shows that family economic issues influence pupils' motivation and perspectives during early education. These findings show that underprivileged kids need support and resources to build favorable academic attitudes. Researching particular policies and strategies would assist ensure China's education system is egalitarian.