Psicologia (Jan 2004)
The Orientation of Cultural Type and Its Influence over the Academic Performance Indicators
Abstract
This study aims at evaluating the relation between type of cultural orientation (individualist or collectivist) and academic performance indica-tors. The identification of the causes of academic achievement has focused on socio-economic, psychological and sociological aspects. However, this problem is part of a larger context which considers other variables which are better able to respond to this question. 710 subjects of both sexes, ranging in age from 11 to 21, from the elementary and secondary educational levels participated in this study. The instruments utilized were concerned with indi-vidualist and collectivist attributes, academic achievement indicators (number of hours dedicated to study, student self-perception, and semester-end grade), and socio-demographic characterization. The findings demonstrated that it is possible to consider the importance of cultural dimensions when dealing with academic achievement, thus characterizing new perspectives for the teaching-learning relationship.
