A Study of Achievement Goals in a Single Sex Independent School: Student interest, Learning Strategies and Performance
• Lai Swee Choo• Patricia Goh • Deline Victoria Soh
Why Motivation?
Students:Learn more from a motivated activityThey retain that learning betterAre involved in their own learning and developmentExhibit behavioral characteristics such as persistence, and are more ready to meet challenges in life when they leave school
Why Achievement Motivation?
Achievement Motivation:Achievement motivation is seen as the driving force that directs an individual towards a goal and the reason for engaging in a task is related to an individual’s goal orientations .
Elliot (1999)
It affects what happens in the classroom because it influences how students approach tasks, how they interpret and evaluate achievement-related information, and how they set goals and effort expenditure for tasks.
Seegers, Putten & Brabander (2002)
Literature Review
Taiwanese students’ motivation, cognitive engagement, and grades were positively associated with mastery goals.
Performance-approach goals were adaptive in terms of children's use of cognitive strategies and their grades.
Performance-avoidance goals were related to students' maladaptive motivation.
Shih (2005)
Singaporean students who scored high on mastery goal orientations were likely to score high on deep processing such as critical thinking and self-regulation.
Lam (2008)
Another study documented that Singaporean students who scored high on mastery goal orientation were likely to score high on adaptive learning strategies such as critical thinking and self-regulation.
Jang (2008)
Literature Review
In another study in an autonomous school, mastery goals were related to interest.
Critical thinking and self regulation positively related to Mathematics results.
Goh (2010)
Literature Review
Achievement Goal Theory
Theoretical Background
A mastery goal orientation is defined in terms of a focus on learning, mastering the task according to self-set standards or self-improvement, developing new skills, improving to developing competence.
A performance goal orientation represents a focus on demonstrating competence or ability and how ability will be judged relative to others.
Elliott and Dweck(1988)
Theoretical Background
Mastery goals will promote mastery-orientated response to obstacles– strategy formulation, positive affect, and
sustained performance.
Performance goals will render an individual vulnerable to helpless response in the face of failure, low ability attributions, negative affect, and impaired performance.
Theoretical Background
Mastery approach: to be more skillful in the task
Mastery avoidance: to avoid forgetting the task
Performance approach: to show that he/she is better than others
Performance avoidance: to avoid appearing dumb relative to others
Elliott and McGregor (2001)
Pattern for mastery approach goals was found to be more positive than that for mastery avoidance goals.
Mastery avoidance goals more positive than that for performance approach and performance avoidance goals.
Elliot & McGregor (2001) Zusho & Pintrich (2000)
Theoretical Background
Purpose of Study
To examine students’ achievement goals, students’ learning strategies, interest and results.
To examine the predictors of students’ interest and results.
Participants and Procedures
Participants– 158 Secondary Four Students
Procedures– One questionnaire with 66 items:
• Achievement Goal Questionnaire (AGQ) (Elliot & McGregor, 2001),
• Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) (Pintrich, 1989)
• Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (McAuley, Duncan, & Tammen, 1989).
• 7 point scale (1 = Not true at all to 7 = very true)
– Pearson correlations– Basic regression
Task/Ego Scale Alpha Coefficient
Ego approach .62
Task avoidance .69
Task Approach .62
Ego avoidance .65
Internal Consistency (Alpha)
MSLQ Alpha Coefficient
Organization .76
Critical Thinking .80
Self Regulation .63
Internal Consistency (Alpha)
Internal Consistency (Alpha)
Interest Alpha Coefficient
Interest .81
• Mastery approach goal positively related to results
Results & Discussions Achievement Goal
Measures 1 2 3 4 5
1. Masteryapproach
-
2. Performanceapproach
0.56(**) -
3. Masteryavoidance
0.72(**) 0.42(**) -
4. Performanceavoidance
0.17(*) 0.28(**) 0.23(**) -
5. Results .0.20(*) 0.11 0.11 0.08 -
• Positive correlation between learning strategies and results
• Significant positive correlation between organisation & critical thinking
• Significant positive correlation between organisation & self regulation
Results and DiscussionsLearning Strategies
Measures 1 2 3 4
1.Organization -
2.Critical Thinking 0.49(**) -
3.Self Regulation 0.51(**) 0.53(**) -
4.Results .016 0.15 0.01 -
Results and DiscussionsPredictors of Results
• Mastery approach are significant predictors of results.
ß t Part Correlation
p
Mastery approach 0.20 2.58 0.20 0.00*
Performance approach 0.10 0.10 0.01 0.92
Mastery avoidance 0.27 2.45 0.20 0.15
Performance avoidance 0.11 1.10 0.09 0.16
• Mastery approach are significant predictors of interest
• Performance approach are significant predictors of interest.
Results and Discussions Predictors of Interest
ß t Part Correlation
P
Mastery approach 0.58 8.90 0.58 0.00*
Performance approach 0.22 2.87 2.22 0.01*
Mastery avoidance 0.15 1.58 0.13 0.12
Performance avoidance 0.09 1.41 0.11 0.16
Implications for Teachers
Teachers should help students become aware of how to think, learn and reason within the particular discipline.
Pintrich (1995)
Implications for Teachers
Teachers are encouraged to emphasize on mastery, personal improvement, and understanding in the classroom.
Research has demonstrated that when students perceive a strong mastery goal structure in the classroom, they are more likely to pursue personal mastery goals
Urdan & Midgley (2003)
Implications for Teachers
TARGET Framework :– Task Design– Distribution of Authority– Recognition of Students– Grouping Arrangements– Evaluation Practices– Time allocation
Epstein (1988) & Ames (1992)
Implications for Teachers
DescriptionHow to Support Mastery
Goals
Task Design Designing of learning activities and assignments
Include variety, challenge and purpose
Authority Opportunities to develop sense of personal control
Foster active participation and sense of ownership
Recognition Formal and informal use of incentives and praise
Focus on individual progress and improvement
Grouping Arrangements utilized in classrooms to allow students to master content
Use individual and cooperative learning
Evaluation Methods used to assess and monitor learning
Give opportunities to improve work as well as use diverse methods
Time Includes workload and pace of instructions
Allow students to participate in scheduling
Note: Adapted from Ames (1992) and Epstein (1988)
Implications for Teachers
Encourage learning strategies such as organization, critical thinking and self regulation.
Organization
active effortful action and it includes clustering, outlining and selecting the main idea in reading passages.
Pintrich, McKeachie, & Smith (1989)
Implications for TeachersCritical Thinking:
The degree to which students report applying previous knowledge to new situations in order to solve problems.
Pintrich, McKeachie, & Smith (1989)
Teachers should teach students to question, to analyze and to look beyond the superficial for all possible answers
Carr (1988)
Four techniques of clarification.
Stating what you are saying explicitly and precisely.
Elaborating on your meanings,
Giving examples
Using analogies, metaphors, pictures, or diagrams to illustrate
Paul & Elder (2001)
Implications for Teachers
Four Techniques of Clarification:State what you are saying explicitly and precisely
Elaborate on the meanings
Give examples
Use analogies, metaphors, pictures, or diagrams to illustrate
Paul & Elder (2001)
Self regulation:– refers to the awareness, knowledge and control of
cognition.Pintrich, McKeachie, & Smith (1989)
Teachers should encourage goal setting and then teach students to revisit or self-monitor their progress towards their goal that they have set for themselves.
Goal setting and self-monitoring as cornerstones of self regulation.
Harris, Reid, and Graham (2004)
Implications for Teachers
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