Chapter 10: Korean Students’ Reactions To Perceived Learning Environment, Parental Expectations, and Performance Feedback: Evidence for the Moderating Role of Performance-Approach Goals

Imagine a teacher who assigns 100 points to every student in her class at the beginning of the semester. She takes away points from students who misbehave during class or do not turn in their homework on time. Another teacher in the next class does exactly the opposite. All students in her class start their new semester with zero points. They accumulate points for every good classroom deed and every assignment they submit on time. Should there be a difference between these two classes in how much students enjoy schooling?

Now imagine parents who frequently express high expectations for their children. They let their children know that they deeply care about how the children are doing in school. They want their children to be successful in school, believe the children can achieve well academically, and are ready to provide assistance in every way possible to help their children perform better in school. Owing to their parents’ strong support, the children feel confident about their capabilities to learn and perform in school and try their best to meet their parents’ high expectations…. Or would they?