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Copyright of Zeitschrift für Qualitative Forschung (ZQF) is the property of Verlag Barbara Budrich GmbH and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Across the globe, from the very wealthy continents of North America to Europe to Australia, the phenomenon of migrant and immigrant students outperforming native students are observed and documented. Even within the same race, achievement differences are being observed. What might account for the achievement success of one group of students over the other group? Are achievement differences among the migrant and non-migrant groups linked to only family dynamics or to socio-cultural or to psychological factors? Ogbu's (1998) Cultural-Ecological Model appears to be insufficient in completely and effectively accounting for these achievement differences. Therefore, the author is proposing a more comprehensive, "Interdisciplinary Theoretical Model of Migrant Schooling" to effectively account for the achievement differences seen across the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although English language competence is directly linked to better job opportunities and an improved quality of life in Mexico, relatively few Mexicans (5-14%) can communicate effectively in English. Research of the Mexican educational system has suggested that outdated teaching methods contribute to a lack of student motivation, which negatively impact learning. This study sought to identify Mexican English learners’ perception of five factors associated with motivation to learn. To that end, a self-report questionnaire was completed by 240 Mexican university students. The factors explored that influence the learning process were empowerment, usefulness, success, interest, and caring in their English classes. The findings revealed that learners experienced relatively higher levels of usefulness, success, and caring in their classes, and lower levels of empowerment and interest. Furthermore, females and low achievers reported significantly lower levels of various components. It was concluded, first, that Mexican EFL students experience different levels of the five factors associated with motivation, a finding that can guide teachers to make improvements in the teaching and learning process. Second, because females and low achievers are at a disadvantage, motivationally speaking, it is essential that English teaching professionals respond to the needs of these two cohorts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across the globe, from the very wealthy continents of North America to Europe to Australia, the phenomenon of migrant and immigrant students outperforming native students are observed and documented. Even within the same race, achievement differences are being observed. What might account for the achievement success of one group of students over the other group? Are achievement differences among the migrant and non-migrant groups linked to only family dynamics or to socio-cultural or to psychological factors? Ogbu's (1998) Cultural-Ecological Model appears to be insufficient in completely and effectively accounting for these achievement differences. Therefore, the author is proposing a more comprehensive, "Interdisciplinary Theoretical Model of Migrant Schooling" to effectively account for the achievement differences seen across the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We advocate an interactive approach to examining the role of culture and SES in explaining Asian Americans' achievement. We use Education Longitudinal Study (ELS) 2002 baseline data to test our proposition that the cultural orientation of Asian American families is different from that of white American families in ways that mediate the effects of family SES on children's academic achievement. The results support our hypothesis, indicating that: (1) SES's positive effects on achievement are stronger among white students than among Asian-Americans; (2) the association between a family's SES and behaviors and attitudes is weaker among Asian-Americans than among Whites; (3) a fraction of the Asian-White achievement gap can be accounted for by ethnic differences in behaviors and attitudes, particularly ethnic differences in family SES's effects on behaviors and attitudes. We find that Asian Americans’ behaviors and attitudes are less influenced by family SES than those of Whites are and that this difference helps generate Asians’ premium in achievement. This is especially evident at lower levels of family SES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]