Achievement Goal Theory Review: An Application to School Psychology

Achievement Goal Theory (AGT) is one of the most popular theoretical frameworks in motivation research. Despite its application to a variety of contexts, including, school, work, and sport, it has not yet been referenced in the field of school psychology. First, we review the theoretical underpinnings as told through the theory’s evolving models, explore its impacts on cognition, emotion, and behavior, and introduce a multiple goals perspective. Second, we outline the leading research supporting AGT, both in terms of structural and individual intervention studies. Third, we apply the principles of AGT to the primary tasks of school psychology professionals, including assessment, intervention, and consultation practices. The students we support can greatly benefit from gearing our approaches toward ones that foster self-improvement and interest.

It’s my luck: impostor fears, the context, gender and achievement-related traits

PurposeAlthough the impostor phenomenon is attributed to childhood experiences, theory on achievement motivation indicates that achievement-related fears can also be elicited by the context. Using achievement goal theory as a base, the authors investigate the effect of context-dependent predictors, job-fit, career stage and organisational tenure, on impostor fears. The authors also examined gender and the achievement-related traits, self-efficacy and locus of control, as predictors of impostor fears to advance knowledge on antecedents to impostor fears.Design/methodology/approachTwo studies were conducted with 270 and 280 participants, each. In Study 1, a subset of 12 respondents participated in follow-up interviews.FindingsImpostor fears tended to be predicted by organisational tenure and career stage in both studies and job-fit in Study 1. Self-efficacy and locus of control predicted impostor fears. Men and women reported similar levels of impostor fears.Practical implicationsThe authors demonstrate the importance of context in eliciting impostor fears and partially support initial descriptions of antecedents to impostor fears. The findings contribute to the development of targeted managerial practices that can help with the development of interventions, such as orientation programmes, that will enhance socialisation processes and mitigate impostor fears.Originality/valueThe literature on imposter fears has not addressed their situational predictors, which the authors argue are important elements in the genesis and maintenance of impostor fears. The authors draw on achievement goal theory to explain the pattern of findings related to key situational characteristics and their influence on imposter fears. The findings for Sri Lanka, on personality predictors, are similar to those reported in studies focused on North America providing evidence of cross-cultural applicability of the concept.

Testing the Mastery-Avoidance Construct in Achievement Goal Theory: A Meta-Analytic Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MA-CFA) of Two Achievement Goals Scales

Achievement goal theory is a popular theoretical framework that has been widely used to understand the goals students hold regarding their academic work. This theoretical model has been subject to an ongoing debate regarding the number and nature of constructs it includes. Notable in such debates has been the inclusion or exclusion of mastery-avoidance goals. The purpose of this study was to conduct meta-analytic confirmatory factor analyses (MA-CFA) on two popular achievement goal measures, the Achievement Goal Questionnaire-Revised (AGQ-R) and the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scales (PALS) achievement goals scales, to analyze the structure of these scales across published studies. The models were a better fit for the data without mastery-avoidance, and overall the data suggest researchers should consider excluding mastery-avoidance.

Mestringsorientert klima – veien til høy innsats, indre motivasjon og karakter i kroppsøving

Denne studien er basert på målorienteringsteorien (Achievement Goal Theory - AGT) og selvbestemmelsesteorien (Self-Determination Theory – SDT) som en teoretisk ramme. Hensikten med studien er å se på sammenhengen mellom oppfattet motivasjonsklima og de tre grunnleggende psykologiske behovene for autonomi, kompetanse og sosiale relasjoner i kroppsøving. Videre vil vi se på sammenhengen mellom, tilfredsstillelse eller frustrasjon av behovene og innsats, indre motivasjon og karakter. Undersøkelsen er gjennomført som en spørreundersøkelse på fire videregående skoler i Trøndelag med 231 respondenter. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) ble brukt til å analysere dataene. Resultatene viser at et mestringsorientert klima hadde en positiv sammenheng med tilfredsstillelse av de tre grunnleggende behovene, og at et prestasjonsorientert klima hadde en positiv sammenheng med frustrasjon av de tre grunnleggende behovene. Resultatene viser også at tilfredsstillelse av de tre grunnleggende behovene hadde en positiv sammenheng med innsats, indre motivasjon og karakterer, mens frustrasjon av behovene hadde en negativ sammenheng med innsats. Analyser viser at et mestringsorientert klima har en indirekte positiv sammenheng med indre motivasjon, innsats og karakterer via tilfredsstillelse av behovene, og at et prestasjonsorientert klima har en indirekte negativ sammenheng med innsats via frustrasjon av behov, og en negativ sammenheng men indre motivasjon via dekking av behov. Å sette mestring og utvikling foran prestasjoner og sosial sammenligning trekkes fram som et viktig element i lærerarbeidet. Det er også viktig å legge til rette for gode relasjoner, at elevene får valgmuligheter i undervisningen og at aktiviteter gir mulighet for mestring. Denne studien tar for seg forskning som forhåpentligvis vil bidra til økt bevissthet rundt motivasjonsklima, grunnleggende behov og innsats, indre motivasjon og karakterer på videregående skoler. Nøkkelord: målorienteringsteorien, selvbestemmelsesteorien, innsats, indre motivasjon, kroppsøving ENGELSK TITTEL AbstractThis study is based on the Achievement Goal Theory (AGT) and Self-Determination Theory (SDT) as a theoretical framework. The purpose of the study is to look at the relationship between perceived motivational climate and the three basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and social relationships in PE. Furthermore, we will look at the relationship between, satisfaction or frustration of the needs, and key learning indicators (effort, inner motivation and grade). The survey has been conducted at four high schools in Trøndelag with 231 respondents. SEM analyses were performed in Mplus. The results show that a mastering climate had a positive connection to satisfaction of the three basic needs, and that a performance-oriented climate had a positive connection to the frustration of the three basic needs. The results also show that satisfaction of the three basic needs had a positive connection to intrinsic motivation and grades, while the frustration of the needs had a negative relation to effort. Further, we have indirect effect from mastery climate to effort, intrinsic motivation and performance through need satisfaction, and an indirect effect from performance climate to effort through both need frustration and need satisfaction. Highlighting mastery and development instead of achievement and social comparison is emphasized as an important element in the teaching work. It is also important to facilitate good relationships, and that activities provide the opportunity for coping. This research will hopefully contribute to increased awareness of the motivation climate, basic needs and learning indicators of upper secondary schools in Norway. Keywords: achievement goal theory, Self-determination theory, effort, intrinsic motivation, physical education.