Achievement Goal Scale Research Articles

Examining the Relationship between Social Maturity, Academic Engagement, and Personality Traits in Secondary School Students

This study aimed to examine the relationship between social maturity, academic engagement, and personality traits in secondary school students in Kermanshah. The research method was descriptive-correlational. From all secondary school students in Kermanshah during the academic year 2023-2024, a total of 200 students were selected using convenience sampling. Participants completed the Johnson Triarchic Personality Questionnaire (Johnson, 2018), the Academic Engagement Questionnaire by Fredericks et al. (2004), and the Adolescent Social Achievement Goal Scale by Ryan and Shim (2008). The research hypotheses were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient, path analysis, and the Sobel test. Results showed that the direct effect of social maturity and avoidance of revealing social immaturity on academic engagement was not significant; however, the direct effect of social maturity on academic engagement was positive and significant. Additionally, findings revealed that the direct effect of the personality traits empathy, compassion, and altruism on academic engagement was not significant. The direct effect of social maturity on the personality traits of empathy, compassion, and altruism was positive and significant. The direct effect of social maturity on empathy as a personality trait was negative and significant. However, the direct effect of social maturity avoidance of revealing social immaturity on empathy as a personality trait was not significant.

Modelling the interplay of writing achievement goals and grit in predicting L2 writing achievements

This study was designed to investigate the interplay between writing achievement goals and grit in predicting L2 writing achievements in two genres (argumentation and narration) through parallel mediation modelling. A convenience sample of 416 tertiary students from Mainland China were recruited as participants. Their writing achievement goals and grit were evaluated by the Writing Achievement Goals Scale and the L2 Grit Scale, respectively. They were each assigned to write an essay in argumentation and narration. The results of the parallel mediation models revealed that: (1) perseverance of effort had significant positive effects on L2 writing achievements in narration and argumentation; (2) mastery goals and performance-approach goals exerted significant positive influences on perseverance of effort, whereas performance-avoidance goals showed significant negative effects on facets of L2 grit; and (3) perseverance of effort did play a mediating role in the relationship between writing achievement goals and L2 writing achievements in narration and argumentation. The effect sizes demonstrated that (1) the effects of writing achievement goals and facets of L2 grit on L2 writing performance varied across argumentation and narration; and (2) the effects of writing achievement goals on facets of L2 grit varied in magnitude. Some methodological and pedagogical implications are discussed.

Varanje na ispitima: uloga motivacije za učenje i kontekstualnih čimbenika

The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between motivational beliefs (achievement goals, self-efficacy, self-efficacy in self-regulated learning), as well as contextual factors, and academic cheating in midterm and final exams at technical faculties of the University of Zagreb. The participants were 398 students enrolled in all five years of the study. Data were collected by the Achievement Goals Scale, the Self-Efficacy Scale, the Self-Efficacy for Self- -Regulated Learning Scale, the Contextual Reasons for Cheating on Exams Scale, and the Academic Cheating Scale. The results demonstrated that, compared to lower- -year students, higher-year students had higher self-efficacy and self-efficacy in self-regulated learning, but lower performance-avoidance and work-avoidance goals. There were no differences in other motivational beliefs, frequency of academic cheating and reliance on contextual factors. Frequency of academic cheating was positively related to work-avoidance goals and contextual factors, and it was negatively related to average grade in previous academic year, self-efficacy in self-regulated learning, and mastery- -approach goals. The analysis of incremental validity of contextual factors revealed that they explained 28.6% of the variance of academic cheating above and beyond motivational beliefs. Moreover, the results showed a greater independent contribution of contextual factors in explaining academic cheating compared to the contribution of motivational beliefs.

Determining the relationship between achievement goals and students' anxiety in statistics course with regard to the mediating role of academic engagement

Background and purpose: In the present study, the relationship between achievement goals and students' anxiety in statistics course was investigated with regard to the mediating role of conflict. The present research is of the type of relational design, and more precisely, the correlation design is of the structural equation modeling type. Method: Among the first, second, third, and fourth year students, the second and fourth year students were randomly selected, and the number 324 students completed the questionnaires of this research. Finally, after removing incomplete questionnaires, 312 questionnaires were analyzed. In this research, in order to collect data, Middleton and Migli (1997) achievement goals scale, Pintrich and DeGroot (1994) academic engagement scale, and Kravis et al.'s (1985) statistics anxiety scale were used as research tools. In the present study, SPSS19 software was used for data recording and preliminary analysis, and AMOS software was used for data analysis, and a significance level of p < 0.05 was considered for all hypotheses. Findings: The fitted model shows the prediction of statistical anxiety. The numbers on the lines are standardized parameters. All paths are significant at the 0.001 level. Among the exogenous variables (mastery goals, performance goals and avoidance goals), mastery goals variable has the most direct effect on statistics anxiety. Conclusion: The findings of this research indicated that progress goals have a significant direct effect on statistics anxiety, that the effect of mastery goals and performance goals on statistics anxiety was negative and the effect of avoidance goals on statistics anxiety was positive.

A Research on the Study of Mental Health, Self-Esteem and Achievement Goals

The aim of this study is to examine the relationships among mental health, self-esteem, and achievement goals variables in health management students. Another aim of the study is to determine whether self-esteem has a moderating role in the effect of mental health on achievement goals. The universe of the study consists of students studying in the health management department of a university. No sample selection was made in the study and data were obtained from 386 students. As a result of the analysis, the mean score of the answers given by the students to the mental health scale was 2.64; the mean score of their answers to the achievement goals scale was 3.86, and the mean score of their answers to the self-esteem scale was 3.26. According to the results of the regression analysis performed in the study, it has been determined that perceived mental health explains 13.8% of the total variance on achievement goals, perceived self-esteem explains 14.9% of the total variance on achievement goals, and perceived mental health explains 9.3% of the total variance on self-esteem. In addition, the study found that self-esteem has a moderating role in the relationship between mental health and achievement goals.

An Investigation of the Achievement Goals and Study Process of Athletes in Individual Sports and Team Sports

Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate of the achievement goals and study process of athletes in individual sports and team sports Methods: For data collection, “Achievement Goals Scale” was used which was developed by Akın 3 and For data collection, “Study Process Scale” was used which was developed by Biggs et al 4 and was adapted to Turkish by Yılmaz and Orhan 5 to 369 participants in total consisting of 126 female and 243 male students. For data analysis, through SPSS statistical packet program, frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests, one-way anova, tukey, pearson correlation analyze were performed. Results: Significant differences were found in the comparison of the participants' achievement goals and study process according to the type of sport, and their achievement goals and study process (p<0.05). Conclusion: According to this; It is seen that those who do team sports have a higher average in achievement goals levels and study process than those who do individual sports. Keywords: Achievement Goals, Study Process, Team Sports, Individual Sports

Social Achievement Goals and Academic Engagement: The Mediating Role of Academic and Social Positive Emotions

Background: Social-cognitive theorists suggest that cognitive-emotional factors play essential roles in academic outputs like academic engagement. Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between social achievement goals and academic engagement by mediating role of academic and social positive emotions. Methods: The method of present study was descriptive cross-sectional study based on correlational research. Using cluster multi-stage sampling method, this study included 566 undergraduate students (278 male and 288 female) in the first semester of 2018. The research instruments were Social Achievement Goals scale, Academic Hope scale, Admiration scale, and Academic Engagement inventory. Data were analyzed using correlation matrix and structural equation modeling. Results: Results of analyzing data showed that social development goal had a positive indirect effect (β = 0.41, P = 0.01) on academic engagement through academic hope and admiration. Also, social demonstration-approach goal had an indirect and negative effect (β = -0.08, P = 0.01) on academic engagement by the mediating role of admiration. Finally, the research model was able to explain 31% of the variance of academic engagement with two latent variables of social achievement goals and academic and social positive emotions. Conclusions: In general, social achievement goals and positive emotions significantly explained the variance of academic engagement. The findings provide supportive evidence for how motivations and emotions can affect academic engagement.

Seventh Graders' Learning Strategies and Achievement Goal Orientations as Predictors of Their Achievement in Social Studies

It is aimed to examine the relationships among seventh-graders’ achievement goal orientations and learning strategies and achievement in Social Studies. In this quantitative study with a correlational design, the data were collected from 440 seventh-grade students studying in nine public middle schools selected by convenience sampling. As data collection tools, Learning Strategies for Social Studies Scale (Didin & Kasapoglu, 2017), Social Studies-Oriented Achievement Goals Scale (Gezer & Sahin, 2016) and Personal Information Form were used. Seventh-graders’ achievement in Social Studies was determined based on end-of-term grades. The data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. The results of the hierarchical regression analysis depicted that seventh-graders’ learning strategies for Social Studies positively predicted their achievement in Social Studies, after controlling for gender. After adjustment for both their gender and learning strategies for Social Studies, the task-approach as one of the Social Studies-oriented achievement goals positively predicted their achievement in Social Studies.

Self-regulation for Reading Comprehension: Psychometric Properties of Two Motivation Scales

Abstract Personal achievement goals and self-efficacy make up the motivational dimension of self-regulated learning. This research investigates the initial psychometric properties of the Achievement Goals Scale for Reading Comprehension and the Self-efficacy Scale for Reading Comprehension. The evidence-based test content validity study involved three expert judges and 16 Middle School, who pointed to the theoretical and practical adequacy of the scales. Validity evidence based on the scales’ internal structure was obtained with a sample of 522 students, using factor analysis as statistical resources. We verified the plausibility of the three-factor Achievement Goals Scale model and the one-factor Self-efficacy Scale model, and identified reasonable reliability estimates. Results indicate that the scales can be used in exploratory investigations. We suggest further research to expand its psychometric quality.

Achievement Goals and Learning Approaches in the Context of Social Studies Teaching: Comparative Analysis of 3x2 and 2x2 Models

This paper aims to determine the predictive relationships between achievement goals and learning approaches in the context of social studies teaching and to compare the goal orientation models ( 3x2, 2x2 ) in the context of their relationships with learning approaches. The study utilized the multi-factorial predictive correlational design. The study sample consists of 259 middle school students, who were selected by simple random sampling technique, studying in public schools in the central districts of Manisa, a province in the west of Turkey, in the 2018-2019. academic year. The data were collected by means of “ Social Studies Oriented Achievement Goal Scale” and “Social Studies Learning Approaches Scale ”. The study concludes that learning achievement goals positively predict deep learning approaches but negatively predict surface learning approaches. Also, performance-goal orientation negatively predicts deep learning approaches but positively predicts surface learning approaches. Compared to the 3x2 model, the 2x2 achievement goal model showed a better fit with the data in explaining the relationships between achievement goals and learning approaches. Findings revealed the complex structure of achievement goals specific to the subject area. The results of the research were discussed in the context of the effects of achievement goals on the learning process.

Psychological Trends in the Achievement Goals of College and University Athletes

Objectives: This study aimed to validate the application of the 3 × 2 achievement goal model in sports. Motivations: In order to offer new perspectives on achievement goals, this study explores 3 × 2 achievement goals used in competitive sports, and the prediction of passion and psychological well-being for sports. Methods: The study sample consists of 406 college and university athletes, including 230 males and 176 females. Average age of the subjects was 20.34 years. Average length of years of sports participation was 8.23 years. Data were collected with a questionnaire that incorporated a 3 × 2 achievement goal scale, a sports passion scale, and the Psychological Well-Being Scale. Statistical Methods: Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics for fuzzy data, fuzzy correlation coefficients, and fuzzy regression models. Finding: 1. There was a correlation between every two of task-approach, task-avoidance, self-approach, self-avoidance, other-approach, other-avoidance, harmonious passion, obsessive passion, and psychological well-being. 2. Among college and university athletes, task-approach and self-approach positively influence harmonious passion; task-approach, self-approach, other-approach, and other-avoidance positively influence obsessive passion; task-avoidance negatively influences obsessive passion; task-approach and self-approach positively influence psychological well-being, and task-avoidance negatively influences psychological well-being. Innovations: Use of the 3 × 2 achievement goal scale is applicable to college sportsmen in Taiwan, and the research method uses fuzzy statistical analysis, which breaks through the barriers of traditional psychological survey methods, and will improve the research quality of the sample survey. This study provides new techniques for research on psychological trends in sports. Value: In the future, coaches and athletes should focus on task-approach and self-approach goals in order to enhance the college or university athletes’ harmonious passion for a positive impact on their psychological well-being when they engage in sports through their own free will.

The role of self-efficacy for self-regulated learning, achievement goals, and engagement in academic cheating

This study examined the relationships between motivational beliefs, defined as self-efficacy for self-regulated learning and achievement goals, engagement and academic cheating in the context of learning biology. Gender differences across these variables were also examined and both active and second-party types of cheating were included. Based on the hierarchical model of achievement motivation, we hypothesized that achievement goals and engagement would play a mediating role between self-efficacy for self-regulated learning and academic cheating. Participants were 283 high school students from Croatia. Data were collected using (1) the Self-Efficacy for Self-Regulated Learning Scale, (2) the Achievement Goals Scale (subscales: mastery-approach, mastery-avoidance, performance-approach, performance-avoidance, work-avoidance), (3) the Engagement in Learning Biology Scale (subscales: behavioural, cognitive, and emotional engagement), and (4) the Academic Cheating Scale (subscales: active and second-party cheating). The results demonstrated that girls exhibited higher self-efficacy for self-regulated learning, mastery achievement goals, and engagement, while boys exhibited higher work-avoidance goals. No gender differences were found in academic cheating. Mediational analysis revealed that behavioral engagement was a mediator between self-efficacy for self-regulated learning and active cheating. The findings of the present study demonstrate the importance of motivation and engagement in understanding academic cheating and in preventing this unethical behavior.

Predictive Effect of Social Achievement Goals and Classroom Incivility on Difficulties during Emotion Regulation

The aim of this study is to examine the predictive role of students’ social achievement goals and classroom incivility levels in their emotion regulation skills. The study was conducted with 309 university students and used “Social Achievement Goal Scale”, “The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale” and “Classroom Incivility Scale” as data collection tools. The study was carried out with 309 university students in Turkey during 2016-2017 academic year (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year students). The findings obtained from regression analysis revealed that social achievement goals and classroom incivility account 15% of total changes in the difficulties faced during emotion regulation. As for the sub goals of the study, it was found that “social achievement goals” mean score of females was higher than that of males; males had higher “classroom incivility” levels than females; and the mean score of females for “difficulties in emotional regulation” was higher than that of males. While no difference was found in “incivility” factor in terms of “age” variable, there were significant differences in “social achievement goals” and “the difficulties in emotional regulation” factors. Similarly, there was no significant difference in “social achievement goals” and “classroom incivility factors” in terms of “class year” variable, but a significant difference was found for “difficulties in emotion regulation” factor. In addition, the results did not reveal any significant differences in “social achievement goals” and “classroom incivility” factors according to “perceived parental attitude”; however, a significant difference was found in “the difficulties in emotional regulation” factor. The research findings were discussed within the framework of the related literature.

Self-regulated Learning Skills: Adaptation of Scale

The aim of this study is to adapt and examine the psychometric properties of Achievement Goal Scale (AGS) originally constructed by Elliot and McGregor (2001) and the Motivated Strategies for Learning Scale (MSLQ) originally constructed by Pintrich, Smith, Garcia and McKeachie (1991) in order to measure the self-regulated learning skills of high school students' in a chemistry course. The study group was comprised of 862 high school students attending a chemistry course in different public schools. The construct validity of the sub-scales included in the scales were tested by confirmatory factor analysis. For the reliability studies, the internal consistency coefficient Cronbach's alpha (α) values as well as McDonald's ω (omega) coefficients were calculated. In addition, item-total correlations were calculated for the reliability of each item in the scales. When the confirmatory factor analysis results were examined, it was accepted that the fit indices met the goodness of fit criteria for both the Achievement Goal Scale and Motivated Strategies for Learning Scale. Factor loadings of the items in both scales were statistically significant. These results showed that the Turkish forms of both scales have enough psychometric properties in terms of validity and reliability for a chemistry course.

Validation of the Korean version of social achievement goals for adolescents: paths from social achievement goals through social behaviour to social adjustment

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study is to translate and validate the Korean version of the social achievement goals scale, which is known to be a significant variable in predicting social behaviour and social adjustments. There were 133 seventh grade middle school students (male = 64, female = 69) who took part in Study 1, and 425 seventh to eighth grade middle school students (male = 293, female = 132) who participated in Study 2. Explanatory factor analysis of Study 1 revealed that the Korean version of the social achievement goals scale consists of three factors (i.e., social development, demonstration approach, and demonstration avoid goals) with six items for each. Confirmatory factor analysis of Study 2 confirmed the three-factor structure. Latent mean analysis revealed that girls endorsed a higher level of the social development goal, while boys endorsed a higher level of the social demonstration approach goal than girls. No difference was found for the social demonstration avoid goal. The test of criterion-related validity revealed that the social development goal indirectly predicted perceived popularity through prosocial behaviour. The social demonstration approach goal positively predicted aggressive behaviour and perceived popularity, while the social demonstration avoid goal negatively predicted both of them. Taken together, we found that the social achievement goals framework is also applicable to Korean adolescents in the same way as Western samples.

The Influence of Educational Psychology Variables on Student Grades in an Introductory Economics Course

In the two principles of microeconomics classes that I taught during the spring and fall semesters of 2013, 170 students participated in the completion of five questionnaires. The first questionnaire covered determinants of student performance recognized in economic education literature, including GPA, gender, age, and race. The other questionnaires were developed by well-known scholars in the field of educational psychology, and they describe the following recognized educational psychology variables: a 29-item Locus of Control Scale, a 12-item Achievement Goal Scale, a 19-item Test Anxiety Scale, and a 16-item Procrastination Scale. The test results were provided to show student characteristics and psychological profiles of students who outperformed others in terms of grades. The regression results show the influence of economic education and educational psychology variables on student grades. The regression equation with only economic education determinants shows that GPA, gender, and ethnicity are the significant variables on student grades, with GPA having a positive effect, males outperforming females, and whites outperforming non-white students. When psychological variables are added to the initial equation, regression results show a significant improvement as reflected by the increase of the adjusted R2 from 0.25 to 0.39. Regression results show that GPA, mastery approach, and debilitating test anxiety are the only significant variables on student performance, with both GPA and mastery orientation variables having a positive effect, while debilitating test anxiety has a negative effect on student performance. The implication of these results for educators is discussed in the paper.

The effect of different teaching styles on critical thinking and achievement goals of prospective teachers

Learning environment enriched with diverse teaching styles can be effective in fostering critical thinking (CT) and achievement goals (AG) for preparing prospective teachers to cope with challenges of twenty-first century. To examine the effect of diverse teaching styles on prospective teachers’ CT and AG; guided discovery, convergent discovery and divergent production styles (Mosston & Ashworth, 2002) were used in teaching of badminton during fourteen weeks. Voluntary participants were forty prospective classroom teachers (treatment group n=20; comparison group n=20) from a Teacher Education Program at a public university in central Turkey. California Critical Thinking Skills Test-Form 2000 (CCTST), The California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI) and Trichotomous Achievement Goal Scale (TAGS) were administered as pre-post test. The results showed that diverse teaching styles had positive effect on CT skills, CT dispositions, AG of performance approach and performance avoidance, but negative effect on mastery AG of prospective teachers

“To learn, or to be the best?”: Achievement goal profiles in pre-adolescents

This study aimed to examine the achievement goal orientation profiles of 5 th and 7 th grade students and the profile differences in academic achievement and anxiety. Participants were 1652 Portuguese students who responded to the Achievement Goals Scale and the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire. Based on a person-centered approach, a cluster analysis identified six groups of students with distinct motivational profiles: task oriented, ego oriented, success oriented, disengaged, self-defeating oriented and diffuse. Diffuse oriented students was the group with higher number of participants. Concerning the gender composition of clusters, differences arise in the groups of disengaged and self-defeating orientations, with boys predominating in the former and girls in the second group. Regarding age, the success oriented students group was overrepresented by younger students and older students were more likely to adopt disengaged orientations. Clusters also presented different composition when retention was taken into account, with students who have been retained being more represented in the disengaged and diffuse groups. Moreover results showed that goal orientation profiles had effects on academic achievement and anxiety. Success oriented students had the higher grades and profiles including predominantly ego orientations are more related to class and test anxiety.

Who benefits from mastery-approach and performance-approach goals in college? Students’ social class as a moderator of the link between goals and grade

Although approach forms of achievement goals (mastery and performance goals) have been shown to predict academic achievement in college, recent research underscores that these associations are rather weak and not consistently observed. The present study tests students’ social class (in the present research, generational status) as a moderator of the relationships between both mastery-approach goals and performance-approach goals and final grade. One hundred students (45 first-generation students and 55 continuing-generation students, M age = 18.9, SD = 1.52) answered an achievement goal scale related to one of their classes at the beginning of the year. Their final grade for this class was obtained three months later. As expected, performance-approach goals positively predicted final grade only for upper-class students, while mastery-approach goals tend to do so for lower-class students, supporting the idea that different kinds of motivation could predict students’ achievement depending on their social class.

Secondary Students' Writing Achievement Goals: Assessing the Mediating Effects of Mastery and Performance Goals on Writing Self-Efficacy, Affect, and Writing Achievement.

The two studies reported here explored the factor structure of the newly constructed Writing Achievement Goal Scale (WAGS), and examined relationships among secondary students' writing achievement goals, writing self-efficacy, affect for writing, and writing achievement. In the first study, 697 middle school students completed the WAGS. A confirmatory factor analysis revealed a good fit for this data with a three-factor model that corresponds with mastery, performance approach, and performance avoidance goals. The results of Study 1 were an indication for the researchers to move forward with Study 2, which included 563 high school students. The secondary students completed the WAGS, as well as the Self-efficacy for Writing Scale, and the Liking Writing Scale. Students also self-reported grades for writing and for language arts courses. Approximately 6 weeks later, students completed a statewide writing assessment. We tested a theoretical model representing relationships among Study 2 variables using structural equation modeling including students' responses to the study scales and students' scores on the statewide assessment. Results from Study 2 revealed a good fit between a model depicting proposed relationships among the constructs and the data. Findings are discussed relative to achievement goal theory and writing.