ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a critical review of Asian students’ social goals, including salient cultural values in Asian contexts that may influence students’ approaches to social relationships, research on students’ social goals across different Asian countries, and differences in Asian and non-Asian students’ social goals. It aims to provide a critical review of the research on Asian students’ social goals and reviews research on the implications of Asian students’ social goals for academic behaviors and achievement. Traditionally, scholars have used a “collectivist,” “interdependent,” or “relatedness” paradigm to describe Asian students’ approach to social relationships, in contrast to an “individualistic,” “independent,” or “autonomous” paradigm for Western students. The chapter focuses on research examining differences in social goals at school between Asian and non-Asian contexts. Social goals are also associated with self-regulated learning and use of particular learning strategies at school. Asian students’ social goals also matter for their social behaviors, social outcomes, and their own well-being.
