Academic,social, and well-being goals in the classroom: The dynamic interplay between multiple goals and self-regulatory processes

Much attention has been given to investigating specific self-regulatory processes within a single goal context, yet little is known about how students manage to pursue multiple goals. We adopted a multi-method approach to examine the content of college students’ (N = 365) multiple goals, interrelations of goals in a goal network, and the role of self-regulatory processes during multiple goal pursuit. First, using thematic coding of qualitative data, we identified different types of academic, social, and well-being goals that students pursue within a particular college course. Second, using data visualization, we illustrated how these goals are dynamically connected to each other within a goal network. Finally, using mediation analysis of quantitative data, we found that students’ perceptions of the interrelations of goals were associated with academic, social, and well-being outcomes, either directly or indirectly through the use of motivational regulation strategies.     

Prevalence,stability, and functionality of achievement goal profiles in mathematics from third to seventh grade

This study examined the longitudinal trajectories of achievement goal profiles in mathematics from third to seventh grade in a sample of 302 German students. Latent profile analyses were conducted separately for each school year and revealed three subgroups of students with distinct goal profiles labeled high multiple goals, moderate multiple goals, and primarily mastery-oriented. Only about one third of the students held the same goal profile across all school years. The amount of students pursuing moderate multiple goals increased over time, which supplements previous findings and theorizing about an ongoing differentiation of achievement goals during early adolescence. There were remarkably few differences in educational outcomes (interest, effort, achievement) between students from distinct goal profile groups. However, high multiple goal students showed the lowest test scores in sixth and seventh grade. Moreover, if students showed low performance during one school year, they were more likely to adopt a high multiple goals profile in the following year. Results are discussed in relation to individual cognitive developments, changes in school environments, and special characteristics of educational systems.     

Learning progress assessment and goal setting: Effects on reading achievement,reading motivation and reading self-concept

This study investigates the effects of learning progress assessment (LPA) combined with student-set goals on students’ reading achievement, reading motivation, and reading self-concept in fourth grade. Classes (n = 41) were assigned to either an LPA group with goal setting (LPA-G), an LPA group only (LPA), or a control group (CG). Students of both LPA groups completed eight LPA tests over a period of six months, and teachers received information about their learning progress. Students in the LPA-G group specified goals before the tests and reflected their goal achievement afterwards. Results indicate that growth in reading was higher for students in the LPA group compared to students in the two other groups. Unexpected negative effects of the goal-setting procedure were found on the development of intrinsic reading motivation and individual reading self-concept. The results are discussed with regard to teacher behavior and the use of diagnostic information for instruction.     

Why do students strive to outperform classmates? Unpacking their reasons for pursuing performance goals

Achievement goal theory has evolved since introduced about 40 years ago. One of its newer variants is the goal complex model. It assumes that each achievement goal (i.e., performance or mastery) can be pursued for many reasons and, more provocatively, that the goal’s effects depend partly on why it is pursued. Clearly, the first task for this area is to identify likely goal pursuit reasons, develop and validate a measure of reasons, and chart the influence of those reasons. Progress remains limited, however. Nearly all studies have considered only a small set of reasons suggested predominantly by self-determination theory, overlooking several other plausible reasons. Nor is there an established measure of goal pursuit reasons. To overcome those limitations, the current study validated and tested a new goal complex measure that includes several additional goal pursuit reasons, both personal (e.g., pride) and social (e.g., to make close others proud, or to help or serve others) in nature. Two culturally distinct samples of university students – one from the USA (n = 400), the other from Thailand (n = 404) – completed the measure with performance goals in mind and then reported a diverse array of educational outcomes. Their results converge for the most part. In each sample, the new measure proved to have good structural validity and psychometric properties. Several goal complexes, including the new social ones, showed unique and often desirable relationships with outcomes, too. The findings raise several research directions and implications for achievement goal theory.     

Does classroom matter? - A longitudinal multilevel perspective on students' achievement goal orientation profiles during lower secondary school

The present study adds to earlier person-oriented research by investigating differences in students' achievement goal orientation (AGO) profiles and their development using a simultaneous consideration of classroom patterns with longitudinal multilevel methods. The sample of almost 10,000 lower secondary school students, representing over 600 classrooms, was surveyed on their AGOs in the 7th and 9th grade. Multilevel latent profile analyses (MLPAs) and transition analysis (MLTA) revealed similar student profiles in AGOs in both grades: success-oriented, moderate multiple goals and avoidance-oriented, as well as two classroom types: success-oriented and mixed orientation classrooms with varied relative proportions of different student-level profiles and patterns of likely transitions. Stability of profiles was more typical than change. Maladaptive transitions were related to lower, and stable and adaptive transitions to higher GPA in the end of 9th grade. In success-oriented classrooms, it was more common to maintain or adopt the success-orientation across lower secondary school compared to the other classroom type.     

Goal Programming for Investment Portfolio and Its Application

To solve the problem of investment portfolio with single goal of maximal NPV, a 0- 1 programming model was proposed and proved effective; and to solve that concerning more elements of a project such as risk level and social benefit, a goal programming model is then introduced. The latter is a linear programming model adopting slack variable called deviation variable to turn inequation constraint into equation constraint, introducing a priority factor to denote different importance of the goals. A case study has demonstrated that this goal programming model can give different results according to different priority requirement of each objective.     

中学生学业成就目标差异分析及教育建议

测量618名中学生学业成就目标,采用多元方差分析的方法进行性别、年级、城乡及学业成就等方面的差异分析。结果表明,中学生成就目标模式总体积极,具体为高掌握-高成绩趋近-低成绩回避;女生在掌握趋近、成绩趋近、掌握回避等目标上得分高于男生;城乡与年级存在交互作用,乡镇初中生成绩回避倾向高;学习者总成绩与成就目标不存在差异,语、数、外三科成绩与成就目标关系的模式存在差异。在差异分析的基础上提出相关建议,帮助学生形成积极成就目标模式。     

大学生自尊需要的特点研究

自尊需要是人类普遍的需要,是指在社会生活中,个体对自我行为的价值与能力进行肯定,同时受他人与社会承认或认可的一种主观需要,是人对自己尊严和价值的追求。它包括自尊和来自他人的尊重。本研究以534名大一到大四的学生为被试,考察大学生自尊需要的特点,结果如下：（1）大学生具有较高的自尊需要,其中自我价值需要与优势比较的水平最高,自我防御倾向的水平最低。（2）男女大学生在自尊需要维度上存在显著差异,女生在重要性追求维度上显著高于男生,而在自我防御倾向上显著低于男生。（3）独生子女和非独生子女大学生在自尊需要上存在显著差异,独生子女优势比较显著高于非独生子女。（4）干部大学生的重要性追求和优势比较显著高于非干部大学生,而自我防御倾向显著低于非干部大学生。（5）在年级比较上,大一学生的重要性追求显著高于大四学生。     

Do teachers’ own learning behaviors influence their classroom goal orientation and control ideology?

This study explored the relationship between teachers’ own learning behaviors and their teaching practices. Experienced teachers taking graduate courses responded to an instrument measuring their self-regulated learning as students and their teaching practices as indicated by how they conveyed the purpose of engaging in academic work (i.e., goal orientation) and their approach toward discipline (i.e., control ideology). The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results indicate that teachers own self-regulated learning behaviors influence the extent to which teachers convey a mastery goal orientation, which in turn leads to a more humanistic control ideology. Implications for teacher education programs are discussed.     

The effect of different goals and self-recording on self-regulation of learning a motor skill in a physical education setting

This study examined the effect of different goals (process, performance outcome, and multiple goals) and self-recording on self-regulation of learning a dart-throwing skill. Participants were 105 fifth and sixth graders who were randomly assigned to six (3 Goal type × 2 self-recording) experimental and one control group. Results showed a positive effect of self-recording on students’ performance, while no difference was found between the goal conditions. Moreover, goal group students made more technical attributions and adaptive inferences compared to the control group students. Results are discussed with reference to self-regulated learning, the pursuit of multiple goals and self-recording in physical education.     

Adding value to students in higher education: a 5-year analysis of student attainment of National Governing Body Awards in a UK Outdoor Education Degree Programme

Recent interest in ways of assessing the performance and ‘value-added’ aspects of higher education and how universities can enhance graduate employability skills has prompted this study into the acquisition of National Governing Body Award (NGBA) qualifications by students on a UK outdoor education degree programme. Students' age, gender, academic and NGBA qualifications, short-term and long-term goals on entry and after each year of study were compiled for students on the BSc (Hons) Outdoor and Environmental Education course at Liverpool John Moores University (n?=?151 students from five cohorts, 1998–2002). Some 78% of entrants held at least one NGBA with 36%, 9% and 2% holding ≥5, ≥10 and ≥15 NGBAs, respectively, and 100% of graduates held at least one NGBA with 57%, 35% and 8% holding ≥5, ≥10 and ≥15 NGBAs, respectively. Students with non-A-level entry held more NGBAs than students who entered with A-levels but A-level entry students gained NGBAs at a faster rate than those without A-levels. There was no clear relationship between students' age and either the number of NGBAs held on entry, or the number gained during the programme. There was a weak inverse relationship between the number of NGBAs that students held on entry and the number gained while on the programme. The data offer virtually no evidence that the pursuit and acquisition of NGBAs' impacts on students' academic achievement as measured by the class of degree that they are awarded. Comparisons of A-level entry points with final degree class showed surprisingly similar distributions in all classes except for first class awards, where students with A-level entry performed twice as well. Males held a significantly greater number of NGBAs on entry than females (mean of 4.8 compared to 2.9) but once on the programme, the achievements of males and females are equal. Analysis of 57 students' short-term and long-term goals showed that 74% and 72% of students specifically stated their intention to achieve NGBAs in their short-term and long-term goals, respectively, with 50% fully achieving their short-term goals by the end of the programme. Students who are good at setting achievable goals and have well-developed time management and study skills are more likely to be successful in courses such as this, which are demanding, require a lot of hours outside the formal class contact time, and require high level decision-making skills to be able to manage successfully conflicts in time and resources.     

The role of self- and social directed goals in a problem-based, collaborative learning context

Students’ learning goals demonstrate much stronger variety than traditional goal orientation models for classroom learning assume, especially when the educational context allows so. In this empirical study we will investigate the richness of students’ goal orientation in a collaborative learning context. We do so with the help of a goal setting framework that is based on a two-facet approach distinguishing multiple contents (performance, learning, well-being) and goal directions (varying degrees of self vs social direction). To investigate the role of different goal constellations, goal setting and learning performance data of first year students (n = 2,636) in a problem-based, collaborative learning program, and evaluation data of problem-based tutorial groups (#groups = 206) are combined into a multilevel model. Each tutorial group functions in two different educational settings: one directed at open-ended, group problems, the other at closed, individual problems. Educational context appears indeed to have a crucial role in the relationship between students’ goal setting at the one side, and students’ performance and group functioning on the other side.     

农村中小学办学条件水平的测度与评价——基于因子分析法

办学条件是城乡教育一体化发展的重要内容,公平而有质量是进一步完善办学条件的方向与追求。基于2017年全国31个省(区、市)农村中小学办学条件指标数据的因子分析发现:农村中小学办学条件水平可以从现代化教学资源、基础性校舍、学校用地三个维度测度;办学条件水平较高的多数省份优势因子与劣势因子并存,水平较低的省份往往缺少明显的优势因子;在经济发展水平存在地区差异的背景下,房屋建设能力、土地可利用程度、学生数量是影响农村中小学办学条件水平的重要因素。实现办学条件公平而有质量的发展目标需要健全办学条件指标评价体系与相关信息管理系统,基于办学条件指标实际状况进行有针对性地改进,在缩小办学条件数量差距的同时注重提高办学条件质量。     

Perceived competence and autonomy as moderators of the effects of achievement goal orientations

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the roles of two moderators – perceived competence and perceived autonomy – in the relationships of achievement goal orientations with a broad range of learning‐related variables, including interest, effort, learning strategy use and academic achievement. Perceived competence and autonomy played roles as moderators by strengthening the positive effects of a mastery goal pursuit on outcome measures of adaptive use of learning strategies and effort, respectively. However, no moderating role of either perceived competence or perceived autonomy was found for the effect of a performance‐approach and performance‐avoidance goal pursuit. In addition, perceived competence played a significant role in determining the level of academic achievement in the context of multiple‐goal pursuit. For students with high perceived competence, the adoption of high performance‐approach goals resulted in a higher level of achievement regardless of the levels of mastery goals. In contrast, students with low perceived competence showed the highest achievement when high performance‐approach goals are paired with low mastery goals.     

Using Wikipedia to enhance student learning: A case study in economics

Currently, there is widespread interest in how Web 2.0 tools can be used to improve students’ learning experiences. Previous studies have focused either on the advantages of wikis or on concerns over the use of Wikipedia. In this study, we propose to use Wikipedia as a classroom wiki. In doing so, we discuss how students can improve their standard written assignments using Wikipedia instead of a module wiki. Compared to traditional essay assignments, students’ submission of articles to Wikipedia can address many of the problems faced by instructors of traditional assignments, such as students’ poor writing skills, lack of primary source research, and poorly balanced discussions. Our study was based on our experience in teaching an upper-level economics module at the National University of Singapore over two semesters: 121 students who were enrolled in semester 1 submitted a traditional writing assignment, while 124 students enrolled in semester 2 contributed two short entries to Wikipedia. The results showed a large increase in the number of students checking their assignment feedback. Further, students’ writing quality improved noticeably in the Wikipedia assignment, and they were able to put forth more balanced discussions of relevant issues and include a greater number of primary sources. Despite the challenges faced when using Wiki markup language, the students enjoyed the overall experience.     

The role of goal orientations for adolescent mathematics achievement

This study examines the association between personal goal orientations and mathematics achievement within the trichotomous goal framework. Participants comprised approximately 2000 seventh and eighth grade White, Hispanic, and Vietnamese students in a low-income urban school district in California. Regression analysis with classroom fixed effects minimized biases arising from non-random assignment of teachers and students to schools and classrooms. While all three achievement goal orientations were correlated with mathematics achievement, only a mastery goal orientation consistently predicted achievement when a full set of prior achievement and demographic controls were included. Performance-approach and performance-avoidance goal orientations did not predict achievement in the full model.     

Influence of interactive videodisc instruction using simultaneous-time analysis on kinematics graphing skills of high school physics students

Real-time kinematical analysis of physical phenomenon is the graphing of displacement, velocity, and acceleration versus time data simultaneously with the motion of the object. Brasell (1987) found that students using real-time analysis with microcomputer-based laboratory tools significantly improved their kinematics graphing skills as compared to students using delayed-time graphing (kinematics graphs produced after the motion of the object). However, using computer reanimation of videotaped images, Beichner (1990) found no difference in student learning between the simultaneous-time (kinematics graphs produced simultaneously with the motion of the image of the object, such as a video-recorded image or a computer reanimated image) and the delayed-time treatments. This investigation considers student analysis of videodisc-recorded images, with treatments over an extended time. Using quantitative, qualitative, and retention data, we found no significant learning difference between using simultaneous-time and delayed-time analysis for student understanding of kinematics graphs. However, the results imply that simultaneous-time analysis may have advantages in some areas.     

Students’ and teachers’ perceptions of goal structures – Will they ever converge? Exploring changes in student-teacher agreement and reciprocal relations to self-concept and achievement

Previous studies have shown that alignment between teachers’ and students’ perceptions of goal structures (i.e., student-teacher agreement) ranges from non-existent to, at most, moderate. However, existing work is limited in that it all relies on cross-sectional data, meaning that we lack an understanding of changes in student-teacher agreement on goal structures over time. The present study therefore (a) attempts to shed light on changes over one semester in student-teacher agreement on six dimensions of goal structures (task, autonomy, recognition, grouping, evaluation, and time) in mathematics classes. In addition, we address the question (b) whether differentiated developmental trajectories of student-teacher agreement emerge for the period before vs. after the first mathematics test in the semester. Furthermore, the study (c) examines whether and how students’ self-concept and indicators of students’ initial and actual achievement are (reciprocally) related to agreement and changes in agreement. Data for this study was collected at five measurement points in newly assembled classes (Grade 9) after a transition within secondary education. The sample contained 130 students and their mathematics teachers, resulting in 130 student-teacher dyads. Applying piecewise growth curve modeling indicated changes in agreement regarding recognition, evaluation, and time. Higher increases in self-concept before the test forecasted declines in agreement regarding autonomy after the test. Moreover, we found effects of achievement on changes in agreement for the dimensions of autonomy, evaluation and time. To conclude, the study’s findings support a dynamic view of student-teacher agreement on several dimensions and provide insights into the interplay between changes in agreement, self-concept, and achievement.     

“新工科”建设背景下传统工科专业实验教学改革探索——以材料成型及控制工程专业为例

面向“新工科”建设内涵,分析了传统工科专业(以材料成型及控制工程专业为例)现有实验教学体系和方法的不足,提出了材料成型及控制工程专业实验教学体系的改革思路,设计构建了以验证性实验为基础、综合与设计性实验为主体、创新与探索性实验为导向的层次化实验教学新体系,建立了以学习者为中心的实验教学新模式和多元考核机制,为“新工科”建设背景下传统工科专业高素质工程人才的培养提供借鉴和支撑。     

艺术德育目标的评估与践行——基于高校调研数据之分析

课堂教学容易出现德育和美育缺乏。针对这一情况,作者尝试从不同方面分析艺术德育目标,并于2015 年对全国96 所高校的近5''000 名学生进行了问卷调研。在此基础上,从大学生对艺术德育目标的认同度分析入手,探讨它的评估意义和践行路径。