The relationship among personal background, intervening variables and English academic achievement in junior high school students in Taiwan

• Main Authors: Yi-Ju Chen, 陳怡如
• Other Authors: 張鑑如
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2007
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/84878407142652715018

碩士 === 國立臺灣師範大學 === 人類發展與家庭學系 === 95 === The purpose of this study was to understand the relationship among the personal background, intervening variables and English academic achievement in junior high school students in Taiwan. Using secondary analysis method, this study analyzed the data collected by Wu & Chang (2005). Subjects were 6896 junior high school students in Taiwan. In this study, social capital, financial capital, English supplementary lessons and affective factor were defined as the intervening variables. The major findings gained from this study were stated as follows: 1. The relationship between gender of students and English academic achievement Junior high school girls received better grades than boys and social capital, English supplementary lessons and affective factor, instead of financial capital, were found to be the intervening variables affecting English academic performance in girls. 2. The relationship between parental education level and students’ English academic achievement This study found that the students whose parents had higher education level performed better in English and social capital, financial capital, English supplementary lessons and affective factor were all the intervening variables. 3. The relationship between parental occupation and students’ English academic achievement This study found that the higher parents’ occupation level, the better their children’s grades in English. Social capital, financial capital, English supplementary lessons and affective factor played as the intervening variables influencing students’ English academic performance. Moreover, students whose parents did not have income, had unstable income or were blue collar workers had the lowest scores in social capital, financial capital and English supplementary lessons than students whose parents were professionals and government employees. Students whose parents did not have stable income or were blue collar workers had the worst performance in affective factor than students whose parents were professionals and government employees. 4. The relationship between urbanization of living and students’ English academic achievement After controlling the factor of gender, parental education level and parental occupation, the grades of junior high school students who lived in far mountain areas were not significantly different from the ones who lived in other areas. Educational implication and suggestions for the future study were discussed.