ERIC Number: EJ963965
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Dec
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0007-0998
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Performance-Approach and Performance-Avoidance Classroom Goals and the Adoption of Personal Achievement Goals
Schwinger, Malte; Stiensmeier-Pelster, Joachim
British Journal of Educational Psychology, v81 n4 p680-699 Dec 2011
Background: Students' perceptions of classroom goals influence their adoption of personal goals. To assess different forms of classroom goals, recent studies have favoured an overall measure of performance classroom goals, compared to a two-dimensional assessment of performance-approach and performance-avoidance classroom goals (PAVCG). Aims: This paper considered the relationship between students' perceptions of classroom goals and their endorsement of personal achievement goals. We proposed that three (instead of only two) classroom goals need to be distinguished. We aimed to provide evidence for this hypothesis by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and also by divergent associations between the respective classroom goal and students' personal goal endorsement. Sample: A total of 871 (474 female) 10th grade students from several German high schools participated in this study. Method: Students responded to items assessing their perception of mastery, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance goals in the classroom. Additionally, the students reported how much they personally pursue mastery, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance goals. All items referred to German as a specific school subject. Results: A CFA yielded empirical support for the proposed distinction of three (instead of only two) different kinds of classroom goals. Moreover, in hierarchical linear modelling (HLM) analyses all three classroom goals showed unique associations with students' personal goal adoption. Conclusions: The findings emphasized the need to distinguish performance-approach and PAVCG. Furthermore, our results suggest that multiple classroom goals have interactive effects on students' personal achievement strivings.
Descriptors: Evidence, Student Attitudes, Factor Analysis, Grade 10, Organizations (Groups), German, Educational Objectives, Females, High Schools, Mastery Learning, Correlation, Academic Achievement, Evaluation Methods, Classroom Environment
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Grade 10; High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A