Academic help -seeking: Its relation to achievement goals, self -efficacy, value and classroom context

This research studied how academic help-seeking was related to achievement goals, self-efficacy, values, classroom context and cultural factors. A sample of 1249 Chinese students (505 8th graders, 477 9th graders, and 267 11th graders) were administered a questionnaire during normal class periods. The results revealed that both academic help-seeking attitude (costs of help-seeking, benefits of help-seeking) and academic help-seeking intention (instrumental help-seeking, executive help-seeking, avoidance of help-seeking) were related to the various dimensions of achievement goals, self-efficacy, values, classroom context, and culture factors. Specifically, instrumental help-seeking intention toward teachers was positively related to social efficacy with teachers, intrinsic interest value and conformity to Chinese help-seeking proverbs. Instrumental help-seeking intention toward classmates was negatively related to intrinsic interest value. Executive help-seeking intention was positively related to sensitivity to others' evaluation, but negatively related to attainment value. Avoidance of help-seeking intention was positively related to classroom norms of inhibiting help-seeking and sensitivity to others' evaluation. Costs of help-seeking from both teachers and classmates were positively related to sensitivity to others' evaluation and classroom ego-orientation. Costs of help-seeking from classmates were also positively related to ego-approach orientation, but negatively related to social efficacy with classmates. Costs of help-seeking from teachers were also positively related to classroom norms of inhibiting help-seeking. Benefits of help-seeking from both teachers and classmates were positively related to social efficacy and conformity to Chinese help-seeking proverbs. Benefits from teachers were also positively related to attainment value, extrinsic utility value, classroom task-orientation and classroom norms of supporting help-seeking.;The effects of self-efficacy, classroom context, and cultural factors on academic help-seeking intention were mediated by academic help-seeking attitude. Specifically, the effects of social efficacy, classroom norms of supporting and conformity to Chinese help-seeking proverbs on instrumental help-seeking intention were mediated by benefits of help-seeking. The effects of sensitivity to others' evaluation and classroom norms of inhibiting help-seeking on executive help-seeking intention were mediated by costs of help-seeking from both teachers and classmates. The effect of sensitivity to others' evaluation on avoidance of help-seeking intention was mediated by costs of help-seeking from classmates.;Considering achievement goals, self-efficacy, values, classroom context, and cultural factors altogether in the prediction of academic help-seeking intention, cultural factors were significant predictors. Specifically, conformity to Chinese proverbs could predict instrumental help-seeking intention toward teachers and sensitivity to others' evaluation could predict both executive help-seeking intention and avoidance of help-seeking intention. There were interactions between ego-avoidance orientation and academic self-efficacy, social intimacy goals and academic self-efficacy in the prediction of benefits of help-seeking from teachers.