Goal Theory Research Articles

The Impact of Internationalization of Higher Education on Students Academic Self-efficacy

The article investigates how international development in higher education affects students academic self-efficacy and points out some problems existing in the earlier research, which can be manifested in the failure to combine the theory and practice of internationalization of higher education with students learning process. By investigating the conceptions of internationalizing higher education and academic self-efficacy, this paper logically introduces the academic meanings of the two. It clarifies the functions that both the internationalizing of higher education and academic self-efficacy can positively impact students learning. By combining the theoretical basis of achievement goal theory, this paper claims that the international development of higher education can promote students academic self-efficacy. This paper calls on universities and institutions to pay more attention to developing higher education internationally and integrate the theories with practical life to approach more international and diversified teaching methods to improve overall educational quality.

The Way I Feel, the Way I Play? The role of affect in goal realization in musical practice

We examined practice-related affect to determine the role it plays in four phases of goal realization in musical practice. Study 1 with a sample of 171 piano students and Study 2 with 235 students playing various instruments allowed for testing the relationships between four types of affect differing in valence and activation level based on the circumplex model and the phases of goal realization: practice intention, practice planning, actional phase of practice, and performance evaluation. In Study 2 we also analyzed longitudinal relationships between affect measured at Time 1 and actional phase of practice and performance evaluation measured 2 weeks later at Time 2. In both studies, highactivation positive affect was related to higher practice intention, while both high- and low-activation negative affect were related to more negative performance evaluation. The results are important for advancing affect and goal theories and for improving theoretical models of musical practice. They are relevant for music educators and music education researchers and can be used in screening and progressmonitoring efforts, shaping interventions to enhance students’ motivation to practice their instruments.

Pendekatan Retoris Dan Relasional Di Taman Pendidikan Al-Quran Darul Hamdi 2

<p><em>All human activities always have a communication aspect in it. One of them is in the field of instructional. In the 1970s, instructional communication focused on the role of communication in teaching. Previous researchers revealed that teachers should not only focus on understanding the material but also how to create a sense of comfort for students. This approach comes from the Rhetorical and Relational Goal Theory. This study looks at how the rhetorical and relational approaches are used during the learning process at TPQ Darul Hamdi 2. This research is a qualitative research with an interpretative paradigm. The research was conducted by observing. Participants were selected by purposive sampling technique. The results of this study indicate that TPQ Darul Hamdi 2 applies the demonstrating instructional strategy by Clarissa Gomes Foletto as a rhetorical approach and focuses on classroom interaction, teacher attitudes, child independence, and teacher-student relationships as a relational approach. Based on data analysis, the approaches taken are effective in learning even though there are several efforts that need to be corrected and increased again.</em></p>

Entrepreneurial Intention of Rural College Students: Role of Perceived Behavioural Control, Entrepreneurial Desire and Entrepreneurial Knowledge

Drawing from the theory of goal directed behaviour and the multi-dimensionality of the Perceived Behaviour Control (PBC) construct proposed by Ajzen, the major objective of this cross-sectional research study was to investigate the extent to which, the two dimensions of PBC (Self-Efficacy and Perceived Controllability) predicts entrepreneurial intention directly and in the presence of entrepreneurial desire as the mediator. Also, the direct effect of the two dimensions of PBC was studied in the presence of a potential moderator, entrepreneurial knowledge. The sample for the present study was 239 rural undergraduate college students in Puducherry district of Pondicherry union territory. Measurement model was analysed using Confirmed Factor Analysis (CFA) in Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) and Process macro (model 5) was used to analyse the mediation and moderation analysis. The results revealed that the two dimensions of PBC havet both direct as well as the indirect influence over entrepreneurial intentions with entrepreneurial desire being the mediator. On the other hand, entrepreneurial knowledge does play a significant role as a moderator between the two dimensions of PBC and entrepreneurial intentions. The study has both theoretical and practical implications in the existing literature with minimum limitations and suggestion for the future researchers.

Transformational Leadership Style and Organizational Performance in The Ministry Of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development in Kenya.

The effectiveness of Kenyan government ministries in delivering their mandates has long been a concern. This raises an issue with type of leadership approach that has always been adopted by these government ministries. A notable case, has been seen at the Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development. It is foreseeable that in reality, competent management and leadership have determined successful or unsuccessful operations in many other agencies and organizations at large. The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether and to what degree democratic style of leadership affect performance of Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development Government. This study looked at the effect of transformational leadership style on the performance of Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development in Kenya. This study relied on transformational leadership theory, path goal theory, team leadership theory and leader member exchange theory frameworks. This study used a descriptive research approach and targeted 188 employees at the Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development in the government of Kenya. Primary data was collected using structured questionnaires and thereafter analyzed descriptively using statistical packages for social sciences (SPSS) version 26. The findings from the study revealed that employee motivation had a significant positive effect on organizational performance of Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development in Kenya. The study found that 36.7% in variation of performance was attributable to employee motivation. However, the study found that employee work commitment had a moderate negative significant effect on organizational performance of Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development in Kenya. Lastly, the researcher found that employee creativity significantly and positively affected organizational performance of the Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development in Kenya. the study found that 62.4% in variation of performance was aa a result of employee creativity. The therefore concluded that employee motivation and employee influenced organizational performance whereas employee work commitment negatively influenced organizational performance. The researcher therefore recommended that management and policy makers need to emphasize on the need for strategy and policy formulation that fosters creativity among employees for them to achieve better performance. Future research was recommended to be done on the effect of leadership attributes on sustainable performance of government ministries in Kenya. 

TEACHING SPEAKING IN IMPROVING STUDENTS' MOTIVATION AND STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE AMONG CAMBODIAN ENGLISH PRIVATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS

This study aimed to explore the influence of student motivation and student performance through teaching speaking skills and the benefits of private instruction among secondary school students in one private school in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Several significant drawbacks for students learning English speaking skills affect their motivation and performance. Students lose confidence in producing vocabulary and structure in their speaking. This research uses quantitative methods. Correlation coefficient and P-value are applied to measure the effect of each variable. Student motivation and performance findings are well related to learning English speaking skills based on a statistically significant positive correlation between speaking teaching and student motivation r = 0.64 with vital statistical significance (p<0.01). Also, a statistically significant positive correlation exists between teaching English speaking and student performance; r = 0.78, with vital statistical significance (p<0.01). In addition, a positive correlation between teaching English speaking and student motivation is statistically significant. r = 0.43, with a high level of statistical significance (p<0.01). The main findings show a correlation between speaking skills, student motivation, and corresponding student performance. For further studies, it could investigate critical variables such as teaching spoken English to students. In addition, if possible, the new theory adapted should be self-theory, goal theory, or mixed methods by increasing the sample size and target locus.

How Trait Gratitude Influences Adolescent Subjective Well-Being? Parallel-Serial Mediating Effects of Meaning in Life and Self-Control.

The relationship between trait gratitude and subjective well-being is well documented in the literature. Recently, growing attention has been given to examining which factors are determinants in the relationship. However, there are no studies to present a comprehensive model of how meaning in life and self-control jointly play a role in this relationship. This study investigated parallel and serial mediation of the presence of meaning, the search for meaning, and self-control in the relationship between trait gratitude and subjective well-being. A total of 764 adolescents (Mage = 14.10, SD = 1.43, 48.43% males) from three middle schools in China completed a six-item measures of gratitude questionnaire form, a meaning in life questionnaire, a middle school students' self-control ability questionnaire, and a satisfaction with life scale. The study revealed that trait gratitude affected the presence of meaning and subsequently affected subjective well-being. In addition, trait gratitude affected self-control through the presence of meaning and the search for meaning, and it subsequently affected subjective well-being. Therefore, the presence of meaning, the search for meaning, and self-control played an important role in the positive effects of trait gratitude on adolescent subjective well-being. The findings were in line with the intrinsic and extrinsic goal theory of gratitude and provided new insight to inform the improvement of adolescent subjective well-being in the future.

Socio-cultural Implications of Self-Determination and Achievement Goal Theory Constructs of Motivation among Fijians athletes with Disabilities

Socio-cultural Implications of Self-Determination and Achievement Goal Theory Constructs of Motivation among Fijians athletes with Disabilities

Chinese EFL learners' empowerment: does teacher care and confirmation matter?

Inspired by the rhetorical/relational goal theory, the current inquiry evaluated the role of two teacher relational behaviors, namely care and confirmation, in predicting Chinese EFL learners' empowerment. To do this, we administered three closed-ended scales to 391 Chinese students who studying English as a foreign language in various educational institutions in China. Students' attitudes toward the interplay between teacher care, teacher confirmation, and learner empowerment were statistically analyzed using IBM SPSS Amos software. The results uncovered that teacher confirmation and teacher care serve an essential role in improving Chinese EFL learners' empowerment. This indicates that EFL learners' empowerment strictly depends on the relational behaviors that teachers employ in instructional-learning contexts. The study outcomes may have some theoretical and practical implications for L2 researchers, language teachers, and teacher trainers.

Entrepreneurial Hospitality Businesses: Application to a New Consumer Purpose Model

This paper applies a proposed concept of underlying consumer purpose and psychological bonding to the entrepreneurial hospitality industry, including hotels, restaurants, and bed and breakfast establishments. Since the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, the industry has seen a huge surge in pent-up demand. Event planners’ expectations have risen. Students are flocking to the industry where there is almost a guaranteed employment upon graduation. The hospitality industry, being one of the largest industries worldwide, faces intense market competition. To succeed, it relies on various factors, including customer satisfaction, loyalty, trust, affective commitment, and share of wallet The model applied in the paper has recently been published in the Journal of Asia-Pacific Management. The model synthesizes multiple theories, that includes need fulfilment theory, goal theory, and congruency theory. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate that a comprehensive understanding of consumers' needs, goals, values, and self-image is crucial for marketers to enhance service experiences, achieve sustainable success, and help consumers attain their desired psychological outcomes. To combat this somewhat sceptical view of service mix development benefitting the hotel firm primarily, we propose the need to broaden hotel marketing and innovation strategies to include recognition of purposeful fulfilment of consumers' psychological needs/tasks, goals, values, and self-concept. Doing so will strengthen the organizational commitment to hotel consumers, leading to sustainable success for the hotel firm and other hospitality-related businesses. To exemplify further the usefulness of consumers' underlying purpose, we have supplied a variety of hotel examples in figures that demonstrate how hotels can create innovative products or services by utilizing a single meaningful purpose to communicate distinct competencies in meeting consumers' psychological needs and goals and asserting values congruence and self-image congruity. These easy-to-understand models can be applied to the hospitality industry. The paper includes examples and illustrations throughout. Implications for future research and further applications are discussed.

The Cognitive-affective Distinction in Achievement Goal: The Development and Validation of the Achievement Questionnaire for Biology Learning

K-8 science teacher candidates often struggle with the difficult learning tasks in multiple science courses in their teacher-training program. One of the major parts of these science courses is biology. Student learning in biology depends on their motivational and affective variables as much as their cognitive abilities. As one of the theories of motivation, the achievement goal theory seeks how individuals pursue academic study by focusing on mastery or performance goals. In addition to goal settings, achievement emotions also influence learners’ academic performance. The authors suggested a theoretical model integrating achievement emotions into the construct of achievement goal theory. The present study has potential provide more insight into individual differences in goal preferences. This model was examined with K-8 science teacher candidates (n = 581). To test the theoretical model, the “Achievement Goal Questionnaire for Biology Learning” (AGQ-BL) was devised. According to the theoretical model, the AGQ-BL consisted of six subscales which are Mastery Goals-(affective-cognitive), Performance Goals-Approach (Affective-Cognitive), and Performance Goals Avoidance-(affective-cognitive). The explanatory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were utilized to verify the construct validity of the AGQ-BL. The results of EFA showed and CFA confirmed that the AGQ-BL was composed of six factors, as proposed by the theoretical framework. Internal consistency of the subscales of the AGQ-BL computed by Cronbach’s alpha revealed high reliability for each. This study empirically demonstrated the integration of cognitive and emotional goals in achievement settings regarding biology learning. Thus, it can be asserted achievement goals’ structure could have more predictive potential on affective and cognitive variables in biology education.

O.6.1-10 Associations between physical education anxiety and physical fitness through five years

Abstract Purpose Physical education is an important context to contribute students’ physical activity in childhood and adolescence. However, negative physical education experiences may have a long-lasting association on students’ willingness to participate in physical activity. The associations between students’ anxiety in physical education and physical fitness have not been previously investigated. The aim of this longitudinal study was to analyse associations between physical education anxiety and physical fitness through five years. Methods Participants of this study included 1147 Grade 5 students (565 males) (mean age: 11.27(0.32) years) at the baseline measure. These participants were measured annually between Grades 5 to 9. The Finnish version of the Physical Education State Anxiety Scale (Barkoukis, 2007) was used to measure cognitive anxiety in physical education. Physical fitness was measured by 20meters shuttle run test (cardiorespiratory fitness) and curl-up and push-up tests (muscular fitness). Sex, BMI and peak height velocity was used as covariates in the analysis. Associations between study variables were measured by the Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model using Mplus statistical software. Results Between level results (squared multiple correlations) of the analysis demonstrated that cognitive anxiety was related to cardiorespiratory (-.32) and muscular fitness (-.34) over five years. Additionally, sex (-.12; girls higher anxiety), BMI (.16) and peak high velocity (-.23) had significant associations with cognitive anxiety. Conclusions This study revealed that cognitive anxiety in physical education has an influence on student’s physical fitness longitudinally. These findings were similar between anxiety and cardiorespiratory fitness and between anxiety and muscular fitness. Results demonstrate that negative physical education experiences have an association on cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness from late childhood to adolescence. Constructs of the Self-determination theory (basic psychological needs) and Achievement goals theory (task orientation) are helpful when implementing positive pedagogy in physical education. Support/Funding Source Finnish Ministry of Education and culture funded this study.

“Rather than Ruin the Fun:” Elaborating on Faking Orgasms as Goal-Oriented Deceptive Communication

This study investigates the goal-oriented nature of deceptive communication enacted through faking orgasms for people in diverse relationships that they perceived as less common or less accepted than more normative relationships (n = 501) using Multiple Goals Theory as a lens. Findings revealed that just over half the sample (52.4%) reported having faked an orgasm at some point in their lives, and approximately one third (32.3%) of the sample reported having faked an orgasm with their current partner. Results from qualitative analyses reveal that instrumental, identity, and personal goals characterized the reported motivations for faking orgasms, which primarily included faking an orgasm to end the activity or to benefit the partner. Implications for sexuality educators and future research are discussed.

The Impact of Leadership Styles Among UAE Municipalities Employees

Purpose: This research examines the impact of four leadership behavior styles; directive, supportive, participative, and achievement-oriented. These four leadership behavior styles are retrieved from the Path goal theory, which considers the employee motivation determinants by the expectancy theory. Design/methodology/approach: The association between the leadership styles and behaviors suggested by the Path goal theory with employee motivation lacks the role of the entrepreneurial mindset factor, which stands on the thinking that enables the employee to overcome challenges, be decisive, and accept responsibility. This research tests the mediation effect of the entrepreneurial mindset factor to fill this gap and contributes significantly to the knowledge of leadership behavior styles. The study also validates the proposed conceptual framework using structural equations modeling, then uses smart PLS with the data collected from 341 employees from the UAE municipalities to test the constructed hypotheses of this research. Findings: The finding of this research revealed a positive and significant relationship between achievement-oriented style and employee motivation in the municipalities of the UAE, a positive and significant relationship between entrepreneurial mindset and employee motivation in the municipalities of the UAE, a positive and significant relationship between participative style and employee motivation in the municipalities of the UAE and positive and significant relationship between supportive style and employee motivation in the municipalities of the UAE. The mediation effect of the entrepreneurial mindset factor, there was a mediation of entrepreneurial mindset for the relationship between directive style and employee motivation. There is no mediation of entrepreneurial mindset for the relationship between achievement-oriented style and employee motivation, no mediation of entrepreneurial mindset for the relationship between participative style and employee motivation, and no mediation of entrepreneurial mindset for the relationship between supportive style and employee motivation. Research limitations/implications: The employees must be appreciated verbally or in writing for their activities in the municipalities to increase their powers and responsibilities and to provide training and career development opportunities. These are the primary leadership motivational factors that provide employees with psychological and social support rather than economic benefit. It can be stated that psycho-social motivation ties employees more. The findings can assist managers in determining which type of leadership style is most suitable in terms of outcomes, as well as how they can adjust their leadership styles to make them more successful and result-oriented. Originality/value: This research can be the first local empirical research to evaluate the organization's performance relationship between leadership behavior styles and the UAE municipality employees' motivation through an entrepreneurial mindset.

Medical students’ general and radiology-specific motivation: Correlations, stability and associations with learning strategies and ability beliefs

Purpose This study investigated general and subject-specific motivational beliefs from the perspectives of self-determination theory (i.e. intrinsic, identified, introjected, and extrinsic motivation) and achievement goal theory (i.e. mastery, performance-approach, and -avoidance goal orientation including the respective classroom goal structures), their interrelations, their stability over time, and their associations with desirable outcomes (i.e. deep-level learning strategies, self-concept of ability). It was hypothesized that motivational beliefs are interrelated but demonstrate a distinct correlational pattern depending on whether they were assessed as general or subject-specific motivation. In addition, motivational beliefs were hypothesized to relate to learning strategies and ability beliefs. Methods Medical students (n = 146) participated in this longitudinal study with measurement points at the beginning and end of a semester. The questionnaire included established motivational scales to assess motivational beliefs and desirable outcomes. Measurement models were tested using confirmatory factor analyses; correlations of scale means were investigated to assess the nomological network of motivational beliefs. Results As expected, intrinsic and identified motivation were associated with mastery goal orientation and with desirable outcome variables, such as the use of deep-level learning strategies. General and subject-specific motivation exhibited distinct correlational patterns. Motivation was relatively stable over time. Results did not confirm the factor structure of classroom goal structure. Conclusions The study emphasizes the benefit of a subject-specific conceptualization of motivation and the need for a careful adaptation of theoretical constructs from the secondary school context to make them fruitful for the promotion of medical students’ motivation. Medical teachers can use established motivational interventions (e.g. using an individual frame of reference for feedback) to support students’ adaptive motivational beliefs (e.g. self-determined motivation, mastery goals). Given the subject specificity of motivation, it seems beneficial to promote adaptive motivation in the respective medical specialty regardless of students’ general motivational characteristics.

Domestic (Local) Consumption in Young Pakistani Consumers – A Shift from Affective Mechanism to Cognitive Mechanism

The research aimed at highlighting the shift in young consumers’ decision making style from affective mechanism to cognitive mechanism and its effects on their domestic consumption. The first goal was to empirically show that a shift in young consumers’ purchase decision making has started to occur in emerging markets, second goal was to link moral foundation theory (MFT) and model of goal directed behavior (MGB) with consumers’ affective and cognitive mechanisms of decision making and third goal was the operationalization of definition of domestic consumption in marketing literature. Research sample size was of 450 respondents. Validated scales were used for data collection. Hypothesized model was tested using Consistent Partial Least Square (PLSc) using Smart PLS and structural equation modeling using AMOS. Consumer ethnocentrism showed a negative significant effect on domestic consumption while consumer xenophobia showed no significant effect on domestic consumer. Moreover, relative product quality came out as the most significant construct influencing domestic consumption in young consumers.

Perceptions of the motivational climate, basic psychological needs, and life skills development in Chinese physical education students.

Life skills can have a positive impact on young people's mental health, academic performance, and overall well-being. Physical education (PE) is viewed as a promising setting for developing students' life skills, but less is known about this in non-English speaking countries such as China. Based on the integration of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Achievement Goal Theory (AGT), we aimed to examine the relationships between students' perceptions of the teacher-initiated motivational climate (mastery- or performance-oriented) and their life skills development in PE, as well as the mediating role of their basic psychological needs (BPNs) (satisfaction or frustration). We employed a cross-sectional survey. Chinese students (N = 533, Age range = 13-18 years) completed measures assessing these variables. We fulfilled correlational and mediational analyses. These findings showed that mastery climate was positively associated with needs satisfaction (r = 0.66) and eight life skills (r range = 0.44-0.61), whereas negatively associated with needs frustration (r = -0.49). Performance climate was positively related to needs frustration (r = 0.52), but negatively related to needs satisfaction (r = -0.38) and eight life skills (r range = -0.28 - -0.15). Needs satisfaction was positively (r range = 0.44-0.65), while needs frustration was negatively (r range = -0.50 - -0.34) linked with eight life skills. Furthermore, needs satisfaction positively mediated the effect of mastery climate on life skills development, but it is not found that needs frustration mediated the effect of performance climate on life skills besides goal setting, social skills, and time management. In conclusion, our study extended the previous literature on life skills in PE, and highlighted the roles of motivational climate and BPNs on students' life skills development. In practice, PE teachers should be encouraged to create a mastery climate as well as avoid a performance climate, to foster students' BPNs satisfaction, which in turn, promote their life skills development.

Motivated to learn? Investigating the link of achievement goals and informal workplace learning of lecturers in higher education

AbstractResearch on lecturers' achievement goals and their impact on professional learning in higher education is a topic that has assumed importance in recent years. However, previous studies have neglected the multidimensionality of informal workplace learning and ignored the differences between self‐based and social‐based informal learning. Based on the Achievement Goal Theory, we propose positive links between learning approach goals and self‐based informal learning, as well as positive links between normative goals and social‐based informal learning. Findings from a first cross‐sectional study with 317 lecturers from higher education institutions in Germany show associations that are largely consistent with our hypotheses. While learning approach goals are moderately related to self‐based informal learning, normative avoidance goals are slightly related to social‐based informal learning. In a second study, 185 lecturers from higher education institutions in Austria received three text‐based vignettes and answered a survey about which teaching‐related informal learning activities they would use in specific situations (i.e., before, during, and after the teaching phase). The results replicate most of the findings from the first study; however, the results are not stable when various control variables are included. Moreover, the associations between achievement goals and informal learning are largely consistent across the simulated semester, although lecturers with strong learning approach goals engage in self‐based informal learning particularly before and during the teaching phase. Our findings provide support for the notion that personal motivational characteristics, in the form of achievement goals, are associated with informal learning in the workplace. We conclude by discussing practical implications for those teaching in higher education.

Antecedent Energizing Profesional Networks And Marketing Performance Fashion Industry: Conceptual Framworks And Research Proposition

Many studies on the connection between an entrepreneurial mindset and business performance were conducted in the preceding year. As a result, this study puts forth a fresh notion that sets it apart from the competition: the necessity of professional networks for reviving the link between entrepreneurial orientation and marketing efficiency. This study seeks to understand the relationships between three dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation—being proactive, taking risks, and being innovative and the marketing success and thriving professional networks of Indonesian fashion SMEs. The process's output is the energization of professional networks based on a synthesis of the theories of dynamic marketing capabilities and achievement goals. A single informant survey of Fashion SMEs owners in the relevant domain using structural equation modeling (SEM) and a moderator test is the suggested methodology for testing the proposed model. While the study's statistical population including all business owners of Indonesian fashion SMEs. Purposive sampling was employed in this investigation, with a sample size of 250 respondents. All respondents received questionnaires, which were then used as the primary data collection tool. The paper finishes with recommendations and lines of inquiry for additional study.

Levels of Marital Satisfaction of Protestant Clergy and Their Spouses in Dagoretti South Sub-County Nairobi, Kenya

Purpose: The aim of the study was to determine the levels of marital satisfaction among protestant clergy in Dagoretti South Sub-County
 Methodology: This study employed an explanatory sequential mixed method design. The study used a sample size of 273 protestant clergy and their spouses, chosen using a simple random sampling technique for quantitative, and 12 participants who were purposefully selected for qualitative, low and high performance on levels of marital satisfaction. The ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale (EMSS) and the Scales of Perceived Social Support were used to collect quantitative data, with the former having a reliability coefficient of 0.834 and the latter of 0.954, respectively. The researcher used both standardized questionnaires and an in-depth interview guide questionnaire to obtain data. Descriptive analysis and thematic analysis were used to examine the data. The data was presented in form of tables. SPSS version 23 for the social sciences was for inferential analysis.
 Findings: The results of this study show that most protestant clergy and their spouses have optimistic views and feelings about their relationships. However, marital contentment is a multifaceted and intricate phenomenon. This is due to the fact that stress is present in every marriage and that clergy and their wives face additional stresses from ministry work. According to the results, a moderate level of marital happiness was reported by 47.6% of the protestant clergy and their spouses in Dagoretti South Sub- County, Nairobi County, Kenya.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study was anchored on the dynamic goal theory of marital satisfaction. The study also recommends that the policymaker’s plan and strategize to engage counselling psychologists with the intent to deal with specific issues that married couples present. It is high time for the government to stop being reactive to issues pertaining marital and family and engage the mental health professionals on the best prevention intervention for marriage and family in general.