The impact of goal orientation on self‐regulation and performance among college students

Abstract

The first objective of this study was to examine whether a relationship exists between types of goal orientation, self-regulatory processes and school performance and the second was toexamine how students' self-regulation and academic performancediffer according to their profiles resulting from combining learning and performance goals orientation. A total of 702 college students (463 females and 239 males) was administered a questionnaire assessing their orientation toward learning and performance goals, and reported their self-regulatory strategies for studying. Results showed that both for males and females there exist systematic relations between learning goal and self-regulation and academic achievement. Relations were also found for performance goal, but for boys only. Results also showed that, among the four profiles of goal orientation, more self-regulatory strategies were reported and higher academic performance was achieved by students having high concern with both learning and performance goals than by the others. More girls were classified in this profile, but in each profile girls were found to report more self-regulatory strategies and to achieve higher academic performance than did boys. Overall, these findings are consistent with those of previous studies conducted with younger students. Although adhesion to learning goal has a positive impact on self-regulation both for girls and boys, for the latter adhesion to performance goal can also be helpful. In view of the role of goal orientation on self-regulation in academic activities, research is needed to identify and understand the nature of the determinants of both the adhesion to these profiles and the gender differences.Metacognition refers both to the explicit knowledge individuals have about their cognitive resources and to the deliberate self-regulation they can exercise when applying this knowledge. Interest in metacognition has led to new research on learning processes in school settings. Studies based on the information processing approach in the development of models of metacognition have particularly focused on the self-regulatory processes, and have identified important components of self-regulation permitting effective learning management. The three major components of self-regulation identified are cognitive strategies, necessary to learn, memorise. understand, etc., metacognitive strategies, allowing adequate supervision during task execution, and motivation, determining the amount of effort needed

Dominant Goal Orientations Predict Differences in Academic Achievement during Adolescence through Metacognitive Self-Regulation

“…For work-avoidance and performance-avoidance goals, a negative relation has been shown with achievement (Wigfield & Cambria, 2010). Sex-specific associations between goals and achievement were found in some (Steinmayr & Spinath, 2008), but not all studies (Bouffard, Boisvert, Vezeau, & Larouche, 1995). Differences between studies have been attributed to differences in conceptualisations or measurement (Hulleman et al, 2010).…”

The interplay of mastery and performance goals in social comparison: A multiple-goal perspective.

“…This research suggests that multiple-goal endorsement can in many cases be the most adaptive motivational pattern (see, e.g., Bouffard, Boisvert, Vezeau, & Larouche, 1995;Fox, Goudas, Biddle, & Duda, 1994;Harackiewicz, Barron, Tauer, & Elliot, 2002;Linnenbrink, 2005;Pintrich, 2000;Shih, 2005;Steinberg, Singer, & Murphey, 2000;Wentzel, 1991). According to Harackiewicz (2000, 2001), four patterns could account for the benefits of multiple-goal endorsement.…”

Modèle des déterminants des buts de maîtrise chez des élèves du primaire

“…Ainsi, Ames (1992) soutient que les élèves qui entretiennent des perceptions négatives de compétence et de contrôle ainsi que des buts de performance élevés ont tendance à adopter des comportements d'évitement en situation d'apprentissage. Par ailleurs, Bouffard, Boisvert, Vezeau et Larouche (1995) ont montré que les buts de maîtrise et de performance ne sont pas nécessairement mutuellement exclusifs et que le désir d'atteindre un haut niveau de rendement n'est pas toujours incompatible avec la poursuite de buts de maîtrise élevés. En conséquence, certains auteurs distinguent maintenant trois types de buts scolaires: les buts de maîtrise, les buts de performance et les buts d'évitement (Bouffard, Vezeau, Romano, Chouinard, Bordeleau et Filion, 1998).…”

“…Quelles que soient les catégorisations théoriques (formulations), les résultats des études empiriques sur le sujet ont maintes fois montré la pertinence heuristique du concept de buts quand il s'agit de comprendre l'engagement, la persévérance et le rendement scolaires (Ames et Archer, 1988;Bouffard, Boisvert, Vezeau et Larouche, 1995;Chouinard et Fournier, 2002;Dweck, 1986;Meece, Blumenfeld et Hoyle, 1988;Miller, Behrens, Greene et Newman, 1993). Particulièrement, les buts de maîtrise seraient associés à plusieurs variables motivationnelles médiatrices de l'apprentissage autorégulé.…”