Private Vocational Students Motivation Research

Non-governmental vocational colleges, the main type of non-governmental universities in China, have made a big contribution to the mass higher education of China. The current university entrance exam system of China divides the candidates into different levels, according to their test scores. Candidates on the low level only can enter the non-governmental vocational colleges, so the matriculate quality of the non-governmental vocational colleges is generally poor. The students in the non-governmental vocational colleges always lack studying passion and interest of theoretical knowledge, but their mind are more active, and their practical ability are more remarkable. The educational quality is so important for non-governmental vocational colleges, just like life support for humankind. In order to promote the students'studying and development, non-governmental vocational colleges should take the conception of cultivation-orientation and student-centered as guiding principle. National education reform and development of medium and long-term planning programs (2010-2020) pointed out that educational work should be conducted by the fundamental requirement of cultivation-orientation. Shanghai education reform and development of medium and long-term planning programs (2010-2020) also brought forward that educational work need cultivation-orientation and should focus on each students lifelong development. Therefore, it is crucial for us to research and understand the students'academic motivation in the non-governmental vocational colleges.The research objects of this paper are the students in the non-governmental vocational colleges in Shanghai, and five questions are included in the paper: How many motivation types constitute the students'academic motivation in the non-governmental vocational colleges, and which one is chief? What characteristics does the academic motivation have? What problems exist in the academic motivation? Is there any factor can influence the academic motivation? How to stimulate and train the academic motivation? The paper choose Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory and Ausubels academic motivation theory as the theoretical foundation, profits from the existing research technique, definite the conceptual framework and operating line. After pre-research, the students'academic motivation in the non-governmental vocational colleges is comprised of seven types: repay and helpfulness, job and life, loftiness and positivity, curiosity and act, school influence, status competition, association consideration. Then, the researcher sends 1200 formal questionnaires to six colleges: four non-governmental vocational colleges, one general university, one key university.By analyzing the survey data and other related information, the paper finds out the students'academic motivation in the non-governmental vocational colleges are diverse, outside led, altruism, utilitarian, disparity, associated. But there are also several problems in the academic motivation obviously: the academic motivation level is low; study value and knowledge value are distortive; no strong study interest or curiosity; no specific learning goals or consciousness; no positive learning attitude or aggressive. Objectively, the factors influencing the academic motivation include national higher education policies, social transformation with the deepening of reform and opening up, people's views on higher education, education and teaching of the non-governmental vocational colleges. Considering on the point of state, society, college and person, based on the principles of educational psychology and the theories of higher education, the paper proposes several measures to stimulate and train the students'academic motivation in the non-governmental vocational colleges.