Synthesizing the Evidence on Classroom Goal Structures in Middle and Secondary Schools

Abstract

This meta-analysis and narrative review synthesizes the literature on classroom goal structures and their relationships with student outcomes, focusing additionally on the ways in which these constructs are operationalized across research studies. Specifically, this study evaluates the relationships between students’ perceptions of mastery and performance classroom goal structures and secondarily of teacher support as related to academic achievement and motivational and psychological outcomes. The findings document that students’ perception of the mastery emphasis of their classrooms is related to a number of positive socio-emotional outcomes and to academic achievement measures and that extrinsically focused classroom goal structures have an overall negative effect on academic achievement. Also, teachers’ socio-emotional and instructional support was found to relate positively to students’ academic achievement, particularly to normed achievement measures rather than grades, as well as to socio-emotional factors including self-efficacy, interest in class, and prosocial behaviors and goals.

Efecto de las metas de logro y las estructuras de metas de clase 3x2 en la motivación autodeterminada: un análisis multinivel en educación secundaria

“…Further from our more restrictive prediction (hypothesis 4), CAFSap promoted the adoption of different types of goals, not only the matching (Sap), and all had a proximal influence in the motivational results. For its part, results of the relation CAFOap -Oap were convergent with previous studies who found that performance-approach CAF leads to the adoption of performance-approach goals (Schwinger, & Stiensmeier-Pelster, 2011;Urdan, 2004), and those who emphasize the maladaptive role of both CAF and personal performance-approach goals (Anderman, Cupp, & Lane, 2009;Givens-Rolland, 2012;Kaplan, Gheen, & Midgley, 2002;Lau, & Nie, 2008;Murdock, Hale, & Weber, 2001).…”

Teacher interests, mastery goals, and self-efficacy as predictors of instructional practices and student motivation

“…Educational interest, however, involves a focus on the pedagogical handling of students and their individual development. This focus probably facilitates mastery-oriented practices because these are beneficial for students' competence perceptions and motivation (Givens Rolland, 2012). In contrast, cognitively activating practices are more closely associated with students' cognitive learning processes and therefore may depend less strongly on educational interest.…”

“…There is ample evidence that mastery goal structures in the classroom predict students' mastery goals, whereas performance goal structures predict students' performance (or ability) goals (Meece, Anderman, & Anderman, 2006;Urdan, 2010;Urdan & Schoenfelder, 2006). Moreover, mastery goal structures contribute positively to students' competence beliefs, motivational engagement (e.g., effort), strategy use, and academic achievement (Givens Rolland, 2012;Urdan, 2010;Wolters, 2004). In contrast, performance goal structures do not or negatively (depending on the grade level) contribute to these outcome measures (see also Meece et al, 2006).…”

“…This makes it impossible to dispel uncertainty about the direction of postulated effects. Although it seems rather probable that facets of teacher motivation indeed impact on teachers' classroom practices (Butler, 2012;Givens Rolland, 2012;Ross, 1998), recent evidence suggests that the association between teacher motivation and instructional quality might be reciprocal. Specifically, Holzberger, Philipp, and Kunter (2013) conducted a longitudinal study and found not only effects of teacher self-efficacy on student and teacher reports of instructional practices but also reverse effects.…”

What do Hungarian Students Think About when Filling out the Likert-Type Scale Goal Structure Questionnaire?

“…Negatív irányú az összefüggése vagy nem függ össze az elsajátítási célstruktúra olyan kedvezőtlen kimenetekkel, mint a negatív érzelmek, a nem adaptív segítségkérés, a tanult tehetetlenség vagy a csalás. A viszonyító célstruktúra észlelése az osztályteremben általában kedvezőtlen kimenetekhez kapcsolódik, úgy mint alacsonyabb teljesítmény, csalás, tanult tehetetlenség, kitartás hiánya (l. Kaplan és Maehr, 2007;Givens Rolland, 2012). Az elsajátítási célstruktúra általában erősebb kapcsolatban áll a tanulói kimenetekkel, mint a viszonyító célstruktúra.…”