Abstract
During their school years, students can have different experiences and go through various emotional and motivational states that can affect their learning experience and play a key role in their personal and academic development. The goal of this paper is to analyse the relationship between goal orientation, burnout and academic performance. Material and methods: The study comprised a sample of 2652 students aged between 12 and 19 years (m = 14.55; DT = 1.70), both male (n = 1.368; 51.58%) and female (n = 1.284; 48.41%), from 14 secondary schools. The instruments used were the Perception of Success Questionnaire (POSQ), the Maslach Burnout Inventory—Student Survey (MBI-SS) and academic performance, which was measured using the students’ average school marks. Results: Results indicate a significant relationship between task orientation (and, to a lesser extent, ego orientation), efficacy and academic performance in line with adaptive behaviours. In addition, it was demonstrated that task orientation, efficacy and cynicism (burnout) can be used to predict academic performance in adolescents. Conclusion: It is argued that goal orientation plays a key role in promoting adaptive behaviours in an academic context and in the personal and academic development of adolescent students.
Highlights
IntroductionInterest in educational research has grown exponentially. The study of psychological variables in students has grown exponentially to determine the proper functioning and personal development of students and to promote their adherence and permanence in the educational system [1].During adolescence, the use of personal strategies and skills to cope with the challenges and demands of academic life is especially important because this is a vital period for the development of adult personality [2].In this setting, emotional and motivational experiences play a key role: students face various challenges and may experience sensations and perceptions that can undermine their motivation and commitment, as well as their academic performance, leading them to drop out of school [3].One of the most relevant cognitive-social theories in the study of school motivation is the achievement goal theory [4,5]
In recent years, interest in educational research has grown exponentially
Owing to the lack of specific studies that establish a direct link between the variables at hand, the aim of this study is to analyse the relationship between goal orientation, burnout and academic performance in a sample of adolescent school students
Summary
Interest in educational research has grown exponentially. The study of psychological variables in students has grown exponentially to determine the proper functioning and personal development of students and to promote their adherence and permanence in the educational system [1].During adolescence, the use of personal strategies and skills to cope with the challenges and demands of academic life is especially important because this is a vital period for the development of adult personality [2].In this setting, emotional and motivational experiences play a key role: students face various challenges and may experience sensations and perceptions that can undermine their motivation and commitment, as well as their academic performance, leading them to drop out of school [3].One of the most relevant cognitive-social theories in the study of school motivation is the achievement goal theory [4,5]. The use of personal strategies and skills to cope with the challenges and demands of academic life is especially important because this is a vital period for the development of adult personality [2]. In this setting, emotional and motivational experiences play a key role: students face various challenges and may experience sensations and perceptions that can undermine their motivation and commitment, as well as their academic performance, leading them to drop out of school [3]. A less adaptive behaviour, linked to extrinsic motivations and performance goals, whereby the tasks are undertaken as a source of gratification and external recognition and validation, and as a way to avoid failure [6]
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