ABSTRACT
The exceptional achievements of East-Asian students in international tests of academic performance are well documented. As Tommis and Phillipson (see Chapter 15 this volume) have pointed out, students from Hong Kong SAR, Chinese Taipei, South Korea, Singapore, Japan and, more recently Shanghai, consistently occupy the top places in tests such as Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). In explaining the reasons behind such achievements it is imperative to focus on motivational theories.
