How Reading Enjoyment and Self-regulated Learning Contribute to Reading Performance in a Confucian Context?

Although positive emotions are widely considered one of the crucial factors affecting individual academic performance, few studies have explored how such effects are mediated by other metacognition and motivational factors in self-regulated learning, taking into account certain cultural-educational contexts. Therefore, this study attempted to investigate the interrelationships among Chinese students’ reading enjoyment, metacognition, approach achievement goals, growth mindset, and reading achievement based on the PISA 2018 dataset. Research findings revealed that (i) reading enjoyment, metacognition, approach achievement goals and growth mindset could positively predict reading performance, but the correlation between a growth mindset and reading enjoyment was negative among Chinese students; (ii) reading enjoyment affects reading performance directly and indirectly, and the indirect influence was mediated by students’ metacognition, approach achievement goals, and growth mindset. This study validates a multiple-parallel mediation model to associate positive emotion and reading achievement via self-regulation. The findings provide implications for enhancing students’ motivation in learning and emotional well-being in Confucian countries.