Comparing Class- and Task-Level Measures of Achievement Goals

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-1-2017

Publication Title

Journal of Experimental Education

Volume

86

Issue

4

First page number:

560

Last page number:

578

Abstract

Models of achievement goals suggest that different tasks and contexts influence the goals students adopt at a given time. However, many studies of achievement goals rely on measures assessed at the class level, analyze results with a variable-centered approach, and employ self-report questionnaires, which may reduce understanding of the contextual factors that arise as students interact with tasks. We compared a behavioral, task-level measure of middle school students' achievement goals to a self-reported, class-level measure and analyzed both measures' relations to task performance and quarterly grades using both variable-centered and person-centered approaches. Task-level goals predicted task performance but not quarterly grades, while class-level goals predicted grades but not task performance. The two measures of achievement goals were not related. This work demonstrates the importance of measuring goals at multiple levels and suggests opportunities for changing students' behaviors and achievement through motivation at the task level.

Keywords

Achievement goals; Achievement; Classroom research; Middle schools; Measurement; Motivation

Disciplines

Educational Psychology

Language

English

UNLV article access

Search your library

Share

COinS