Investigating the Achievement Goals of University Students in terms of Psycho-social Variables

Abstract

AbstractIt is the aim of this research to investigate the achievement goals of university students. Firstly, university students' adoption levels of achievement goals are described. Next, how their level of academic self-efficacy, irrational beliefs, perfectionism, self-determination, locus of control and gender predict each achievement goal is depicted. The participants consisted of 1509 university students. The findings showed that students generally adopted the mastery-approach at a high level, mastery-avoidance at a medium level, and both performance-approach and performance-avoidance at a low level. Furthermore, according to the results of hierarchical regression analysis, it was found that perfectionism related to higher standards, academic selfefficacy, perfectionism related to order, self-determination, internal locus of control, perfectionism related to dissatisfaction and gender (female) predicted the mastery-approach achievement goal significantly. Masteryavoidance achievement goal was significantly predicted by perfectionism related to higher standards, irrational beliefs, perfectionism related to order and discrepancy and gender (female). Irrational beliefs, academic selfefficacy, perfectionism related to discrepancy, self-determination and gender (male) significantly predicted the performance-approach achievement goal. Irrational beliefs, perfectionism related to the discrepancy, selfdetermination, perfectionism related to higher standards and academic self-efficacy significantly predicted the performance avoidance achievement goal.Keywords: Achievement goals * Academic self-efficacy * Irrational belief * Self-determination * Perfectionism * Locus of controlJust like intellectual factors, non-intellectual factors also play an important role in the academic achievement level of individuals. In particular, one can notice that researchers in recent years have sought to prove the impact of non-intellectual factors on academic achievement. In this framework, within the body of literature, explanations on the theory of achievement goals (Elliot, 1999) related to how individuals are motivated to be successful through their personal and social characteristics have an important place.The theory of achievement goals was developed to explain how the achievement level of individuals can differ even with the same intelligence and ability level (Dweck, 1986; Dweck & Leggete, 1988). According to this theory, the reason for different levels of success in individuals with the same ability and level of intelligence stems from the different forms of motivation and goals they set in order to be successful (Elliot & Dweck, 1988). The goals of individuals attained towards success and their unique forms of motivation for being successful are closely related to each other (Dweck, 1986). In other words, the goals of individuals attained towards success can significantly affect their level of motivation while they deal with academic tasks. In this context, the theory of achievement goals is expressed as a cognitive, affective, and behavioral process which includes the purposes an individual wants to achieve during fulfillment of an academic task (Elliot & Dweck, 1988; Nicholls, 1984). Therefore, it is understood that achievement goals are forms that include the different dimensions of an individual's personality and psychological characteristics.When achievement goals theory first emerged, it was argued that individuals could adopt two different achievement goals: mastery and performance (Dweck, 1986). In later years, performance achievement goals were divided into two dimensions, and the trichotomous achievement goals model was adopted. The achievement goals were described as a three-dimensional structure containing mastery, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance (Elliot & Harackiewicz, 1996). After the trichotomous achievement goals model, the mastery achievement goal was divided into two dimensions and a 2 x 2 achievement goals model was developed (Elliot & McGregor, 2001). …