Different goals, different pathways to success: Performance-approach goals as direct and mastery-approach goals as indirect predictors of grades in mathematics
LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES, vol.61, pp.127-135, 2018 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 61
- Publication Date: 2018
- Doi Number: 10.1016/j.lindif.2017.11.017
- Journal Name: LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
- Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus
- Page Numbers: pp.127-135
- Keywords: Achievement goals, Learning environment, Academic performance, Challenge seeking, Adolescence, Mathematics, ACHIEVEMENT GOALS, STUDENTS MOTIVATION, ENVIRONMENTAL-INFLUENCES, RECIPROCAL RELATIONS, HIERARCHICAL MODEL, CLASSROOM, CHALLENGE, ORIENTATIONS, STRATEGIES, MEDIATION
- Open Archive Collection: AVESIS Open Access Collection
- TED University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
In this study, we aimed to investigate the different routes through which perceived goal structures, and in turn mastery-approach and performance-approach goals in mathematics, predict subsequent academic performance. Path analyses with a sample of Turkish adolescents (N = 369; 49.1% males; M-age = 16.67 years, SD = 1.85) revealed two distinct paths. After controlling for mid-year grades, we found perceived mastery goal structures to relate (positively) to mastery-approach goals, which in turn positively predicted end-year grades through challenge seeking. In contrast, perceived performance goal structures related positively to both performance approach and performance-avoidance goals with the former directly predicting higher end-year grades, and the latter being related negatively to challenge seeking. These findings imply that there may exist different paths that can predict academic performance.