Psychology: Goal Orientation & Its Effect On Academic Performances

Overview On Goal Orientation 

The term goal orientation refers to a psychological concept that refers to an individual's focus on either learning and development (a "learning goal orientation") or on performance and achievement (a "performance goal orientation"). These can influence an individual's motivation, cognition, and behaviour & can have effects on academic and professional success.

Researches have consistently shown that individuals with a learning goal orientation tend to have a more intrinsic, self-directed motivation, and are more likely to engage in activities that facilitate their own learning and development. Its indicated that individuals with a performance goal orientation tend to have a more extrinsic, externally-regulated motivation, and are more likely to engage in activities that demonstrate their ability or achieve a desired results.

Another evidence that indicated individuals with a learning goal orientation are more likely to adopt a growth mindset, which is the belief that some abilities can be developed through effort and learning, on the other hand individuals with a performance goal orientation are more likely to adopt a fixed mindset, which is the belief that abilities are fixed and no one can changed them.

Concept Of Goal Orientations

There are variety definitions of goal orientations, most of them varies base on the understanding of the authors. These include:

According to Dweck (2000) says "a goal orientation is a psychological mindset that reflects the way in which individuals approach tasks and challenges. It can be characterized by either a focus on learning and development (a mastery goal orientation), or a focus on achieving high levels of performance and outperforming others (a performance goal orientation)."

In another idea, Elliot & Dweck (1988) explain that "a goal orientation is a general tendency to approach tasks with a focus on either learning or performance. A learning goal orientation involves a desire to improve one's competence and understanding, whereas a performance goal orientation involves a desire to demonstrate ability and outperform others." (

"A goal orientation is an individual's general approach to tasks and challenges. It can be characterized as either a focus on learning and personal development (a mastery goal orientation), or a focus on demonstrating ability and outperforming others (a performance goal orientation)." ( Pintrich, Smith, Garcia & Arbor, 1991).

Lent, Brown & Larkin (1984) opined that "a goal orientation is a general tendency to approach tasks and challenges with either a focus on learning and personal development (a mastery goal orientation), or a focus on demonstrating ability and outperforming others (a performance goal orientation)."

Senko, Hulleman & Harackiewicz (2011) define as  "a  goal orientation is an individual's general approach to tasks and challenges, characterized by either a focus on learning and development (a mastery goal orientation), or a focus on demonstrating ability and outperforming others (a performance goal orientation)."

Types Goal Orientations 

There are several types of goal orientations that have been identified in the literature. These are a few examples:

Learning goal orientation: This refers to a focus on acquiring new skills, knowledge, and understanding for their own sake, rather than for the sake of performance or demonstrating ability to others. This orientation has been associated with increased academic achievement and intrinsic motivation (Butler & Winne, 1995).

Performance goal orientation: This refers to a focus on demonstrating ability and outperforming others. It has been associated with a tendency to engage in surface-level learning strategies, decreased intrinsic motivation, and increased anxiety (Dweck, 1986).

Mastery goal orientation:  according to Bong & Skaalvik (2003), this refers to a focus on improving one's own skills and abilities, without necessarily comparing oneself to others. It has been associated with increased intrinsic motivation, learning, and achievement.

Work avoidance goal orientation: according to Schraw & Dennison (1994), this refers to a tendency to avoid challenging tasks or activities in order to avoid the possibility of failure. It has been linked to decreased achievement and increased procrastination.

Work-approach goal orientation: This refers to a tendency to approach tasks and challenges in a proactive and persistent manner. It has been associated with increased achievement in proactitive academic outcomes (Midgley et al., 2000).

Goal Orientations & Academic Performance

There is research to suggest that different goal orientations can have an impact on academic performance. Some of the key findings include:

Learning goal orientation: This orientation, which refers to a focus on acquiring new skills and knowledge for their own sake, has been consistently linked to higher academic performance and intrinsic motivation (Butler & Winne, 1995; Elliot & McGregor, 2001).

Performance goal orientation: This orientation, which refers to a focus on demonstrating ability and outperforming others, has been linked to both higher and lower academic performance depending on the context. In some cases, a performance goal orientation can lead to increased effort and achievement (Ames, 1992). However, it has also been linked to a tendency to engage in surface-level learning strategies, decreased intrinsic motivation, and increased anxiety (Dweck, 1986), which can ultimately lead to lower academic performance.

Mastery goal orientation: This orientation, which refers to a focus on improving one's own skills and abilities without necessarily comparing oneself to others, has been associated with increased intrinsic motivation, learning, and achievement (Bong & Skaalvik, 2003).

Work avoidance goal orientation: This orientation, which refers to a tendency to avoid challenging tasks or activities in order to avoid the possibility of failure, has been linked to decreased achievement and increased procrastination (Schraw & Dennison, 1994).

Work-approach goal orientation: This orientation, which refers to a tendency to approach tasks and challenges in a proactive and persistent manner, has been associated with increased achievement and positive academic outcomes (Midgley et al., 2000).

References:

Senko, C., Hulleman, C. S., & Harackiewicz, J. M. (2011). A meta-analysis of the effect of goal setting on task performance: 1966-1998. Psychological Bulletin, 137(3), 444-458.)

Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York, NY: Random House.

Elliot, A. J., & McGregor, H. A. (2001). A 2 x 2 achievement goal framework. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80(3), 501-519.

Dweck, C. S. (2000). Self-theories: Their role in motivation, personality, and development. Philadelphia, PA: Psycholohy press.

Nicholls, J. G. (1984). Achievement motivation: Conceptions of ability, subjective experience, task choice, and performance. Psychological Review, 91(3), 328-346.

Elliott, E. S., & Dweck, C. S. (1988). Goals: An approach to motivation and achievement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(1), 5-12.).

Pintrich, P. R., Smith, D. A. F., Garcia, T., & McKeachie, W. J. (1991). A manual for the use of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). Ann Arbor, MI: National Center for Research to Improve Postsecondary Teaching and Learning.)

Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., & Larkin, K. C. (1984). Relation of self-reported high school achievement goals to subsequent college outcomes. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 31(3), 356-362.)

Ames, C. (1992). Classrooms: Goals, structures, and student motivation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 84(3), 261-271.

Bong, M., & Skaalvik, E. M. (2003). Academic self-concept and self-esteem: How different are they really? Educational Psychology Review, 15(1), 1-40.

Butler, D. L., & Winne, P. H. (1995). Feedback and self-regulated learning: A theoretical synthesis. Review of Educational Research, 65(3), 245-281.

Dweck, C. S. (1986). Motivational processes affecting learning. American Psychologist, 41(10), 1040-1048.

Elliot, A. J., & McGregor, H. A. (2001). A 2 x 2 achievement goal framework. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80(3), 501-519.

Midgley, C., Kaplan, A., & Middleton, M. (2000). Performance-approach goals: Good for some students, not for others. Educational Psychologist, 35(1), 79-95.

Schraw, G., & Dennison, R. S. (1994). Assessing cognitive processes: Measures of metacognition. In D. H. Schunk & B. J. Zimmerman (Eds.), Self-regulation of learning and performance: Issues and educational applications (pp. 127-153). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.


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