High School Students’ Achievement Goals: Assessing Gender, Grade Level and Parental Education

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between high school students’ goal orientations, and their gender, grade level and parents’ level of education. Data were collected from 266 high school students in Turkey during the Spring semester of 2011-2012. A multiple-goal perspective with approach and avoidance dimensions was considered. Goal orientations of learning-approach (LPGO), learning-avoidance (LVGO), performance-approach (PPGO), and performance-avoidance (PVGO) were measured using the 2x2 Achievement Goal Orientation Scale developed by Akin in 2006. A series of multivariate ANOVAs and univariate F-tests were conducted with gender, grade level and parental level of education as independent variables, and with LPGO, LVGO, PPGO, and PVGO as dependent variables. Findings showed that there were significant differences on gender and grade level, but no significant associations between the scale scores and parental level of education.