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A developmental study of the relation between combined learning and performance goals and students' self-regulated
T Bouffard1, C Vezeau, L Bordeleau
1Département de Psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada. bouffard.therese@uqam.ca
The British Journal of Educational Psychology
|October 27, 1998
Summary
Learning goals enhance younger students' self-regulation, while performance goals become more important for older students. Goal adaptivity in academics shifts with development, influenced by factors like grade importance.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Goal theory posits learning goals are adaptive and performance goals less so in academics.
- Existing models assume goal adaptivity is constant across academic levels.
Purpose of the Study:
- Examine the relationship between combined learning and performance goals with self-regulation and academic performance.
- Investigate developmental trends in these goal-related associations.
Main Methods:
- Surveyed 1072 high school students across junior, middle, and senior levels (ages 11.9-15.7).
- Assessed students' learning and performance goals and self-regulatory strategies via questionnaire.
Main Results:
- High learning goals boosted self-regulation in younger students, irrespective of performance goals.
- Performance goals correlated with self-regulation and academic performance in older students.
- High performance goals mitigated negative effects of low learning goals for older students.
Conclusions:
- The adaptive nature of academic goals appears to change with student development.
- Increasing academic stakes (e.g., for higher education access) may influence goal adaptivity.
- Further research is needed to explore these developmental and contextual factors.