Abstract:
This study aimed to investigate the academic achievement and aspirations of Chinese immigrant girls in Australia in the light of their definitions of success, attribution pattern, influence of significant others, ethnicity and ethnic identification. Academic achievement and aspirations were measured in terms of academic performance, choice of academic subjects and courses. This study employed a combination of quantitative and qualitative techniques. In the phase one quantitative study, a questionnaire was administered to 264 Australian and immigrant Chinese adolescent girls. In the phase two qualitative study, 30 Chinese immigrant girls from the original sample were interviewed. The results showed that the academic achievement of adolescent girls was related to their definitions of success, and their attribution patterns. Choice of academic subjects was related to academic achievement. The results also suggested that Chinese immigrant girls achieved better in Mathematics than Australian girls and the two groups of girls displayed different patterns in terms of choice of academic subjects and courses. Furthermore, among Chinese immigrant girls, length of residence in Australia, auspices of immigration and ethnic identification were related to academic achievement. The study further indicated that Chinese immigrant girls were not a homogeneous group and service providers should be sensitive to the needs of different Chinese immigrant girls.