Do performance goals promote learning? A pattern analysis of Singapore students’ achievement goals

This study investigated how achievement goals are combined to affect students’ learning. We used a multiple goals perspective, based on mastery (i.e., mastery approach) and performance (including both approach and avoidance components) goals, to examine the achievement goal patterns of 1697 Singapore Secondary 3 students in their math study. Four types of goal clusters emerged from latent class cluster analyses: Diffuse (moderate multiple), Moderate Mastery (moderate mastery/low performance approach and avoidance), Success Oriented (moderate mastery/high performance approach and avoidance), and Approach (high mastery and performance approach/low performance avoidance). Analyses of covariance were conducted to compare these four clusters on eleven cognitive, behavioral, and affective learning outcomes. In general, students in the Success Oriented and Approach groups were higher on self-efficacy, subjective task values, class engagement, homework engagement, time management, and meta-cognitive self-regulation than those in the other two groups. In addition, students in the Approach and Moderate Mastery groups were more likely to make effort when encountering difficulties in learning math, showed lower test anxiety, lower negative affect, and achieved higher scores in math than students in the other two groups. These findings suggest that the goal profile with high mastery and performance approach goals combined with low performance avoidance goals is most beneficial for learning, whereas high performance approach goals, when associated with performance avoidance goals, have some negative effects on affective outcomes. The patterns help to refine distinctions in performance goals, and are discussed in the context of academic achievement in Singapore.     

The role of social-academic goals in Chinese students’ self-regulated learning

European Journal of Psychology of Education - The role of mastery and performance goals in self-regulated learning (SRL) has received much attention. However, in collectivist and Confucian-heritage...     

Distance learners’ multiple goals,learning and achievement in different learning situations

Can mastery and performance-approach goals predict distance learners’ learning and achievement in different learning situations over an academic year? Using a prospective longitudinal design, the current study examined this research question using a cohort of distance learners in Hong Kong. Two hundred and seventy-two distance learners completed three survey questionnaires at the beginning, in the middle and towards the end of an academic year. Regression analyses found that distance learners’ mastery and performance-approach goals at the beginning of the academic year predicted learning interest and the use of regulatory strategies in subsequent surveyed points after controlling for the effects of the age factor and self-efficacy levels.     

Understanding teachers’ professional learning goals from their current professional concerns

In the day-to-day workplace teachers direct their own learning, but little is known about what drives their decisions about what they would like to learn. These decisions are assumed to be influenced by teachers’ current professional concerns. Also, teachers in different professional life phases have different reasons for engaging in professional learning. In this study, we explored the professional concerns underlying teachers’ learning goals in order to understand variation in professional learning over a teacher’s career. In this qualitative study, we administered a semi-structured interview and a card sorting task to 15 secondary school teachers to elicit teachers’ learning goals and current professional concerns. By conceptually combining teachers’ learning goals with professional concerns in concern-goal pairs, we sought to understand the different reasons for teachers’ learning. These concern-goal pairs were characterized in three different types of reasons: continuous, growth and improvement, and work-management. The results showed that early career teachers have mainly growth and improvement concerns, whereas mid- and late-career teachers have both continuous and growth and improvement concerns. Work-management concerns differ for early- and late-career teachers. Results are further discussed in terms of professional life phase models and teachers’ developmental tasks throughout their career.     

Teachers’ professional learning goals in relation to teaching experience*

In this study, we explored the relationships between teachers’ self-articulated professional learning goals and their teaching experience. Although those relationships seem self-evident, in programmes for teachers’ professional development years of teaching experience are hardly taken into account. Sixteen teachers with varying years of experience and subjects were interviewed. The results show different learning goals, related to communication and organisation, curriculum and instruction, innovation, responsibilities, and themselves as professional. Various relationships between learning goals and teaching experience emerged, which clearly reflect the development from early- to mid- and late-career teachers. Issues related to curriculum and instruction appeared to be learning goals for early- and mid-career teachers. This implies that regardless of increasing teaching expertise, curriculum and instruction remain central to teachers’ continuous learning. Late-career teachers were interested in learning about extra-curricular tasks and innovations. Models of professional life phases have been used to interpret these results.     

The role of authentic teaching cases and mastery approach goals in online pre-service teachers’ self-regulated learning

Instructional methods in higher education are changing in response to the growing popularity for distance learning courses. Investigating methods of instruction that will assist in the manner that coursework is taught in online courses is therefore a significant enterprise to research. Specifically, examining the relation between theory and practice in programs of teacher education where application is an integral part of the curriculum as well as students’ future career is of utmost importance. Instruction using the case study method enables instructors to involve their students with the realities of teaching using scenarios built around authentic educational dilemmas, where students can problem-solve varying outcomes and generate possible solutions from multiple theoretical viewpoints. Self-regulated learning has been consistently shown to be a fundamental component in the academic success of online learners. Existing research studies on distance learners has specifically shown mastery-approach goals to be predictive of self-regulated learning. This study found significant relationships between the use of authentic case studies in online preservice teaching, self-regulation, and mastery approach goals. Additionally, the results of this study also identified that the relationship between self-regulation and mastery approach goals was strengthened when using case studies that were authentic.

     

‘My family’s goals are also my goals’: the relationship between collectivism,distal utility value,and learning and career goals of international university students in Germany

International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance - The utility value of an academic task can affect university students’ learning behavior and career choices. For...     

Self-regulation prompts promote the achievement of learning goals – But only briefly: Uncovering hidden dynamics in the effects of a psychological intervention

Most psychological interventions have to be administered repeatedly to be effective, but what is the optimal frequency? The answer will depend on how quickly the effects build up and wear off between intervention prompts. We investigated these temporal dynamics in a popular self-regulation intervention: implementation intentions. We combined a novel intervention design with objective high-resolution data of students’ learning success during 40 days of preparation for an exam. Students (n = 223) received intervention prompts on half of the days, alternating between 2 and 3 consecutive days of prompting and no-prompting. These students outperformed a no-prompt control group (n = 116) in the final exam (d = 0.21). However, the beneficial effect of prompting on learning success increased over consecutive days of prompting and decreased when prompting was discontinued. These results suggest that the beneficial effects of self-regulation prompts on learning success are highly volatile and might benefit from regular repetitions.     

Exploring the effects of web-mediated socially-shared regulation of learning and experience-based learning on improving students’ learning

The application of online learning and educational technologies in higher education has changed teaching methods, the channels of delivering learning materials, and modes of communication between teachers and students. This study is aimed to improve learning effects and investigate, via quasi-experiments, the effects of web-mediated socially-shared regulation of learning (SSRL) and experience-based learning (ExBL) on improving students’ learning results. The experimental design in this study was a 2 (SSRL vs. non-SSRL)?×?2 (ExBL vs. non-ExBL) factorial pretest/post-test design. Four classes in a one-semester course titled “Applied Information Technology: Data Processing” at university level were chosen for this study. Based on the analysis carried out in this study, students who received the treatments of web-mediated SSRL and/or ExBL did not have significantly better computing skills in using Excel. The reasons for these insignificances and implications thereof are discussed in this paper. Nevertheless, students in the SSRL and non-ExBL class had significant increases in scores for their learning motivation at the end of semester compared with the beginning.     

The effects of peer competition-based science learning game on secondary students’ performance,achievement goals,and perceived ability

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of different modes of competition on science learning in a game-based learning (GBL) environment. Some key motivational constructs such as learning goals, performance goals, and perceived ability were also investigated. One hundred ninety-five students from a secondary school in Taiwan were randomly assigned to three conditions (anonymous competition, non-anonymous competition, and a control group) in a GBL environment to learn the concepts of force and balance. The results suggested that students in both the anonymous competition and non-anonymous competition groups outperformed students in the control groups. Additionally, we found that the students in the anonymous competition group reported higher learning goals and higher perceived ability than the control group did, whereas students in the non-anonymous competition group reported higher performance goals than the control group did. This study extends findings from previous research on the influences of GBL on learning and motivation.     

Effects of cooperative learning on second graders’ learning from text

Two studies were conducted to investigate the effects of cooperative learning on second‐graders’ motivation and learning from text. In Study 1, students (n = 160) in cooperative learning groups were compared with their counterparts (n = 107) in traditional instruction groups. The results revealed a statistically significant difference between the two groups, with more favourable perceptions of teachers’ instructional practices and better reading comprehension in the instructional intervention groups than in the traditional instruction groups. In Study 2, 51 second‐graders participated in the instructional intervention programme. The results showed that students’ positive cooperative behaviour and attitudes were related to their motivation and reading comprehension. When students perceived that their peers were willing to help each other and were committed to the group, they tended to be more motivated and performed better in reading comprehension.     

Parents’ goals for and perceptions of alphabet books

This study examined parents’ goals for reading ABC books with their children and their perceptions of page features. Factor analysis of a questionnaire answered by 225 parents of junior and senior kindergarten students revealed four goals for reading alphabet books. In order of importance as rated by parents the goals were: Learning to Read, Enjoyment and Bonding, Learning from Books, and Soothing the Child. Maternal education, number of ABC books owned, and ABC book reading frequency were related to parents’ goals. When viewing ABC pages, parents rated pages with little text, simple illustrations, and letter sound-word consistency as more appropriate for fulfilling purposes related to learning to decode than pages with a lot of text, complex illustrations, and letter sound-word violations. These perceptions are congruent with previous research and experts’ advice. However, parents rated pages with more complex illustrations as more appropriate for enjoyment, potentially putting books with complex illustrations at cross purposes with the previous goals.     

Students’ multiple state goals as a function of appraisals,trait goals,and their interactions

Although many motivational theories have emphasized that person- and situation-based aspects should be recognized simultaneously when explaining actual learning behavior, not much is known about the occurrence of state goals. The model of adaptive learning (Boekaerts & Niemivierta, 2000) proposes that state goals are influenced by trait goals, perceptions of the situation (i.e., appraisals), and interactions between trait goals and appraisals. Nevertheless, empirical evidence for this model is scarce. The present study aimed to overcome this research deficit by integrating trait goals and appraisals as well as their interactions in explaining state goals in authentic learning episodes. As suggested by Boekaerts and Niemivierta (2000), we adopted a multiple-goal approach and included achievement goals (i.e., mastery, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance goals) as well as well-being goals (i.e., affiliation and work-avoidance goals). They outlined the meaning of perceived relevance and autonomy for learning behavior. Therefore, we included both appraisals in our study. Using longitudinal data with one trait and two state measurements (N = 542), we applied structural equation modeling to test three different effect models with latent variables: an additive effect model, a reactive effect model, and an interaction effect model. Our data did not fit the reactive effect model: Trait goals did not impact appraisals. The joint influence of trait goals and appraisals on state goals was not unitary but multiform: Additive and multiplicative relations between trait goals and appraisals explained the occurrence of state goals. State goals are important predictors of proximal learning behavior. Thus, these results are important for theory development and for practitioners.     

Confucius’s view of learning

Drawing textual evidences from the Analects (Lunyu論語) and other Confucian classics, this article attempts to clarify the contents, methods, and ultimately the nature of learning in the eyes of Confucius. The paper set out to argue that a better understanding of the concept of learning by Confucius must be angled on: (i) Confucius’s political aspiration and life pursuit (zhi志) rather than his teaching; (ii) The personal preference (hao好) of Confucius along with his zhi that has motivated his study and practice of the finer aspects of the Zhou legacies. And on the above basis, the paper suggests that: (iii) TO BE one’s mandate self (wei ji爲己) is at the core of Confucius’s concept of learning and that naturally determines the methods and characteristics of learning; (iv) the three opening lines of Lunyu in fact made a statement on the way Confucius learns.     

Theorising teaching and learning: pre-service teachers’ theoretical awareness of learning

We examine pre-service teachers’ theoretical learning during one five-week training module, and their educators’ learning about better lecture design to foster student learning. The study is iterative: interventions (one per group) were implemented sequentially in student groups A–C, the results of the previous intervention serving as the baseline for the design developed for the next. These learning study participants, 79 students from year three of a teacher training programme, studied the variation theory (VT) of learning. Three lesson cycles were completed, each comprising four steps: (1) a pre-test, (2) a 15-min intervention discussing VT, (3) a post-test and (4) a delayed post-test conducted eight weeks later. The results indicated learning differences between groups; qualitative analysis identified three categories of student answers, i.e. emergent, premature and unaware, regarding their theoretical understanding. Group C had more students with emergent knowledge (36%) than did groups A (20%) or B (17%) at post-testing.     

Improving mobile learning with enhanced Shih＇s model of mobile learning

More recent motivational research focuses on the identification of effective techniques for enhancing instructional design and meeting the needs of diverse student populations （Wlodkowski R. J., 1981）. Learning-motivation researchers are applying some of the same theories and concepts found to be effective in industry to the development of motivational models that enhance the teaching-learning environment. One of such models is the Attention Relevance Confidence Satisfaction （ARCS） model of motivational design developed by John M. Keller （Small Ruth V., 2007）. The continuous improvement in handheld devices technologies has led to a new learning paradigm called mobile learning which involves the delivery of learning contents to learners utilizing mobile computing devices. Handheld devices, however, have constraints which limit their use for effective learning. Towards improving the effectiveness of mobile learning is a new mobile learning model proposed by Shih on which instructional designs for mobile learning can be based to facilitate mobile learning design and to achieve better mobile learning outcomes （Yushin E. Shih ＆ Dennis Mills, 2007）. Shih＇s model is based on Graphical User Interface （GUI）. This paper presents an enhanced Shih＇s model for effective mobile learning outcome in a university environment by making provision for instructional design to include online library search for both e-books and audio books using collaborative filtering algorithm to aid the search and posting and reading of testimonials about positive mobile learning outcomes so as to encourage other mobile learners. It also incorporates the use of Voice User Interface （VUI） to access the learning portal in order to overcome mobile devices interface limitations in addition to Graphical User Interface （GUI） proposed by Shih, so as to cater for the learning needs of the blind and the visually impaired.     

Investigating the effect of an adaptive learning intervention on students’ learning

Educators agree on the benefits of adaptive learning, but evidence-based research remains limited as the field of adaptive learning is still evolving within higher education. In this study, we investigated the impact of an adaptive learning intervention to provide remedial instruction in biology, chemistry, math, and information literacy to first-year students (n = 128) entering a pharmacy professional degree program. Using a mixed methods design, we examined students’ learning in each of the four content areas, their experience using the adaptive system, and student characteristics as related to their choice of participating in the intervention. The findings showed the adaptive learning intervention helped address the knowledge gap for chemistry, but the same effect was not observed for the other three content areas. Math anxiety was the only student characteristic that showed a significant relationship with students’ participation. While the students reported an overall positive experience, the results also revealed time factor and several design flaws that could have contributed to the lack of more student success. The findings highlight the importance of design in adaptive learning.     

Teachers’ assessments of students’ learning of mathematics

This paper reports a study of the classroom assessment practices of 12 sixth form college mathematics teachers in Malta. It explores the extent to which these teachers are knowledgeable about their students’ learning of mathematics and the implications that this has for their classroom practices. It reveals that these teachers’ knowledge of their students’ understanding of certain mathematical concepts is fairly limited. It then goes on to discuss this phenomenon in terms of a process that can hinder rather than promote learning. The research illuminates the position of teachers who appear to lack certain detailed information about their students which, it can be argued, could inform more effective teaching strategies. The paper concludes by exploring possible implications for similar situations where learning could be enhanced by more effective classroom assessment strategies and their use to inform future teaching and learning activities.