Why do some students excel in their college classes and develop interest in an academic disciplin... more Why do some students excel in their college classes and develop interest in an academic discipline? The authors examined both the short-term and long-term consequences of students' achievement goals in an introductory psychology course. Mastery goals positively predicted subsequent interest in the course, but not course grades. Performance goals positively predicted grades, but not interest. Three semesters later, the authors obtained measures of continued interest in the discipline and long-term performance. Mastery goals predicted subsequent enrollment in psychology courses, whereas performance goals predicted long-term academic performance. These positive and complementary effects of mastery and performance goals on different measures of academic success are consistent with a multiple-goals perspective in which both goals can have beneficial consequences in college education. College students often pursue multiple goals in their classes. Some goals may be fairly general and concern students' reasons for taking a class, whereas other goals are more specific to what students hope to accomplish in the course-to learn as much as they can about the subject or to obtain a high grade. These latter types of goals have been labeled achievement goals (Ames, 1992; Dweck, 1986; Nicholls, 1989), and they can influence how students approach, experience, and perform in their classes. A great deal of research has investigated the relationship between achievement goals and a wide range of educationally relevant measures such as learning strategies, attributions for success, and academic performance (see Ames, 1992, for a review). However, there has been relatively little research attention given to motivational variables such as interest and intrinsic motivation (see Harackiewicz, Barron, & Elliot, 1998, for review), and even less attention to the long-term consequences of achievement goals. We believe that educational research needs to consider not only how well students perform in their courses, but also whether students develop interest in the topics taught in those courses (
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1997
The authors investigated personality predictors of achievement goals in an introductory psycholog... more The authors investigated personality predictors of achievement goals in an introductory psychology class, as well as the consequences of these goals for the motivation and performance of 311 undergraduates. Two dimensions of achievement motivation (workmastery and competitive orientations; J. T. Spence & R. L. Helmreich, 1983) predicted the goals endorsed. Individuals high in workmastery were more likely to adopt mastery goals and less likely to adopt work avoidance goals, whereas competitive individuals were more likely to endorse performance and work avoidance goals. Students adopting mastery goals were more interested in the class, but students adopting performance goals achieved higher levels of performance. These results suggest that both mastery and performance goals can lead to important positive outcomes in college classes.
The authors investigated personality predictors of achievement goals in an introductory psycholog... more The authors investigated personality predictors of achievement goals in an introductory psychology
class, as well as the consequences of these goals for the motivation and performance of 311 undergraduates.
Two dimensions of achievement motivation (workmastery and competitive orientations; J. T.
Spence & R. L. Helmreich, 1983) predicted the goals endorsed. Individuals high in workmastery
were more likely to adopt mastery goals and less likely to adopt work avoidance goals, whereas
competitive individuals were more likely to endorse performance and work avoidance goals. Students
adopting mastery goals were more interested in the class, but students adopting performance goals
achieved higher levels of performance. These results suggest that both mastery and performance
goals can lead to important positive outcomes in college classes.
Why do some students excel in their college classes and develop interest in an academic disciplin... more Why do some students excel in their college classes and develop interest in an academic discipline? The
authors examined both the short-term and long-term consequences of students' achievement goals in an
introductory psychology course. Mastery goals positively predicted subsequent interest in the course, but
not course grades. Performance goals positively predicted grades, but not interest. Three semesters later,
the authors obtained measures of continued interest in the discipline and long-term performance. Mastery
goals predicted subsequent enrollment in psychology courses, whereas performance goals predicted
long-term academic performance. These positive and complementary effects of mastery and performance
goals on different measures of academic success are consistent with a multiple-goals perspective in which
both goals can have beneficial consequences in college education.
Motivating the SEL Field Forward Through Equity, 2021
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an important driver of student well-being, academic achiev... more Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an important driver of student well-being, academic achievement, and future success. Despite decades of work on motivation theory and frameworks to promote student motivation and achievement outcomes, connections between motivation and recent frameworks and measures of SEL could be stronger. The purpose of our chapter is to help address this shortcoming. First, we begin by reviewing which theories of motivation currently appear in major SEL frameworks. Second, we introduce how a more comprehensive theory of motivation (based on an expectancy–value–cost framework) could be incorporated into SEL frameworks to advance their overall impact. Third, using examples from our ongoing research in STEM classrooms, we show how a broader knowledge of motivation can inform practitioners on how to promote key SEL competencies and subsequent achievement and engagement for students, especially to address inequities for historically marginalized and minoritized students. Finally, we close with recommendations for future directions for research and practice.
Curriculum‐based learning communities centered within a discipline can take on many forms. Throug... more Curriculum‐based learning communities centered within a discipline can take on many forms. Through the use of specific institutional examples, this chapter examines three models requiring minimal to more complex coordination.
In 1990, the current authors with Faith Gabelnick authored their first book about learning commun... more In 1990, the current authors with Faith Gabelnick authored their first book about learning community initiatives, which has gone on to become one of the most widely cited volumes in the New Directions for Teaching and Learning series. In this chapter, they reflect on the developments and evolution of learning communities since that time, including their reflections on each chapter from the present volume.
The benefits of a strength-based approach to working with children and adolescents are clearly in... more The benefits of a strength-based approach to working with children and adolescents are clearly indicated in the literature while Strengths-Based School Counseling embraces the positive development of students and learning environments. An interdisciplinary research team formed a partnership with a middle school community to intentionally investigate school climate, life satisfaction, wellness, and student motivation in order to promote positive development and overall well-being of middle school students. Students rated moderate to high levels of satisfaction, perceptions of school climate, and overall wellness. Differences in grade levels were indicated. Implications for interdisciplinary teams, evaluation methods, and recommendations to support student wellness are offered. A Collaborative Approach to Evaluating Well-Being in the Middle School Setting A large body of literature supports the benefits of a wellness, strength-based approach to working with children and adolescents (McWhirter, McWhirter, McWhirter,
Publisher Summary This chapter addresses the question of optimal motivation using an achievement ... more Publisher Summary This chapter addresses the question of optimal motivation using an achievement goal approach. In general, goals can be defined as cognitive representations of what is hoped to be accomplished, and they give direction and energy to behavior. They also can vary in their level of specificity, ranging from concrete and task-specific goals to more general and broad goals. One particular class of goals, achievement goals, has emerged as the dominant framework for studying achievement motivation. Achievement goals reflect the purpose or reason for an individual's achievement pursuits in a particular situation, and theorists have converged on two general types of achievement goals. The chapter also reviews experimental work that reveals some of the conditions under which performance goals promote intrinsic motivation, as well as correlational work that reveals a positive association between performance goals and academic performance. Achievement goal theorists have reexamined the performance goal construct and argued that it confounds theoretically distinct components. The chapter describes a theoretical model that has guided experimental work on this topic and then presents experimental results that support the model. Following this, it presents some of the recent correlational work in classroom settings. The chapter then demonstrates how the findings, whether experimental or correlational, support a multiple goal perspective rather than the mastery goal perspective. Finally, it describes a set of studies designed to bridge existing experimental and correlational work and outlines four ways in which mastery and performance goals can work in concert to promote optimal motivation.
ABSTRACT This chapter describes three approaches to creating classroom‐based learning communities... more ABSTRACT This chapter describes three approaches to creating classroom‐based learning communities: interteaching; team‐based learning; and cooperative learning in large, lecture‐based courses.
Why do some students excel in their college classes and develop interest in an academic disciplin... more Why do some students excel in their college classes and develop interest in an academic discipline? The authors examined both the short-term and long-term consequences of students' achievement goals in an introductory psychology course. Mastery goals positively predicted subsequent interest in the course, but not course grades. Performance goals positively predicted grades, but not interest. Three semesters later, the authors obtained measures of continued interest in the discipline and long-term performance. Mastery goals predicted subsequent enrollment in psychology courses, whereas performance goals predicted long-term academic performance. These positive and complementary effects of mastery and performance goals on different measures of academic success are consistent with a multiple-goals perspective in which both goals can have beneficial consequences in college education. College students often pursue multiple goals in their classes. Some goals may be fairly general and concern students' reasons for taking a class, whereas other goals are more specific to what students hope to accomplish in the course-to learn as much as they can about the subject or to obtain a high grade. These latter types of goals have been labeled achievement goals (Ames, 1992; Dweck, 1986; Nicholls, 1989), and they can influence how students approach, experience, and perform in their classes. A great deal of research has investigated the relationship between achievement goals and a wide range of educationally relevant measures such as learning strategies, attributions for success, and academic performance (see Ames, 1992, for a review). However, there has been relatively little research attention given to motivational variables such as interest and intrinsic motivation (see Harackiewicz, Barron, & Elliot, 1998, for review), and even less attention to the long-term consequences of achievement goals. We believe that educational research needs to consider not only how well students perform in their courses, but also whether students develop interest in the topics taught in those courses (
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1997
The authors investigated personality predictors of achievement goals in an introductory psycholog... more The authors investigated personality predictors of achievement goals in an introductory psychology class, as well as the consequences of these goals for the motivation and performance of 311 undergraduates. Two dimensions of achievement motivation (workmastery and competitive orientations; J. T. Spence & R. L. Helmreich, 1983) predicted the goals endorsed. Individuals high in workmastery were more likely to adopt mastery goals and less likely to adopt work avoidance goals, whereas competitive individuals were more likely to endorse performance and work avoidance goals. Students adopting mastery goals were more interested in the class, but students adopting performance goals achieved higher levels of performance. These results suggest that both mastery and performance goals can lead to important positive outcomes in college classes.
The authors investigated personality predictors of achievement goals in an introductory psycholog... more The authors investigated personality predictors of achievement goals in an introductory psychology
class, as well as the consequences of these goals for the motivation and performance of 311 undergraduates.
Two dimensions of achievement motivation (workmastery and competitive orientations; J. T.
Spence & R. L. Helmreich, 1983) predicted the goals endorsed. Individuals high in workmastery
were more likely to adopt mastery goals and less likely to adopt work avoidance goals, whereas
competitive individuals were more likely to endorse performance and work avoidance goals. Students
adopting mastery goals were more interested in the class, but students adopting performance goals
achieved higher levels of performance. These results suggest that both mastery and performance
goals can lead to important positive outcomes in college classes.
Why do some students excel in their college classes and develop interest in an academic disciplin... more Why do some students excel in their college classes and develop interest in an academic discipline? The
authors examined both the short-term and long-term consequences of students' achievement goals in an
introductory psychology course. Mastery goals positively predicted subsequent interest in the course, but
not course grades. Performance goals positively predicted grades, but not interest. Three semesters later,
the authors obtained measures of continued interest in the discipline and long-term performance. Mastery
goals predicted subsequent enrollment in psychology courses, whereas performance goals predicted
long-term academic performance. These positive and complementary effects of mastery and performance
goals on different measures of academic success are consistent with a multiple-goals perspective in which
both goals can have beneficial consequences in college education.
Motivating the SEL Field Forward Through Equity, 2021
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an important driver of student well-being, academic achiev... more Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an important driver of student well-being, academic achievement, and future success. Despite decades of work on motivation theory and frameworks to promote student motivation and achievement outcomes, connections between motivation and recent frameworks and measures of SEL could be stronger. The purpose of our chapter is to help address this shortcoming. First, we begin by reviewing which theories of motivation currently appear in major SEL frameworks. Second, we introduce how a more comprehensive theory of motivation (based on an expectancy–value–cost framework) could be incorporated into SEL frameworks to advance their overall impact. Third, using examples from our ongoing research in STEM classrooms, we show how a broader knowledge of motivation can inform practitioners on how to promote key SEL competencies and subsequent achievement and engagement for students, especially to address inequities for historically marginalized and minoritized students. Finally, we close with recommendations for future directions for research and practice.
Curriculum‐based learning communities centered within a discipline can take on many forms. Throug... more Curriculum‐based learning communities centered within a discipline can take on many forms. Through the use of specific institutional examples, this chapter examines three models requiring minimal to more complex coordination.
In 1990, the current authors with Faith Gabelnick authored their first book about learning commun... more In 1990, the current authors with Faith Gabelnick authored their first book about learning community initiatives, which has gone on to become one of the most widely cited volumes in the New Directions for Teaching and Learning series. In this chapter, they reflect on the developments and evolution of learning communities since that time, including their reflections on each chapter from the present volume.
The benefits of a strength-based approach to working with children and adolescents are clearly in... more The benefits of a strength-based approach to working with children and adolescents are clearly indicated in the literature while Strengths-Based School Counseling embraces the positive development of students and learning environments. An interdisciplinary research team formed a partnership with a middle school community to intentionally investigate school climate, life satisfaction, wellness, and student motivation in order to promote positive development and overall well-being of middle school students. Students rated moderate to high levels of satisfaction, perceptions of school climate, and overall wellness. Differences in grade levels were indicated. Implications for interdisciplinary teams, evaluation methods, and recommendations to support student wellness are offered. A Collaborative Approach to Evaluating Well-Being in the Middle School Setting A large body of literature supports the benefits of a wellness, strength-based approach to working with children and adolescents (McWhirter, McWhirter, McWhirter,
Publisher Summary This chapter addresses the question of optimal motivation using an achievement ... more Publisher Summary This chapter addresses the question of optimal motivation using an achievement goal approach. In general, goals can be defined as cognitive representations of what is hoped to be accomplished, and they give direction and energy to behavior. They also can vary in their level of specificity, ranging from concrete and task-specific goals to more general and broad goals. One particular class of goals, achievement goals, has emerged as the dominant framework for studying achievement motivation. Achievement goals reflect the purpose or reason for an individual's achievement pursuits in a particular situation, and theorists have converged on two general types of achievement goals. The chapter also reviews experimental work that reveals some of the conditions under which performance goals promote intrinsic motivation, as well as correlational work that reveals a positive association between performance goals and academic performance. Achievement goal theorists have reexamined the performance goal construct and argued that it confounds theoretically distinct components. The chapter describes a theoretical model that has guided experimental work on this topic and then presents experimental results that support the model. Following this, it presents some of the recent correlational work in classroom settings. The chapter then demonstrates how the findings, whether experimental or correlational, support a multiple goal perspective rather than the mastery goal perspective. Finally, it describes a set of studies designed to bridge existing experimental and correlational work and outlines four ways in which mastery and performance goals can work in concert to promote optimal motivation.
ABSTRACT This chapter describes three approaches to creating classroom‐based learning communities... more ABSTRACT This chapter describes three approaches to creating classroom‐based learning communities: interteaching; team‐based learning; and cooperative learning in large, lecture‐based courses.
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class, as well as the consequences of these goals for the motivation and performance of 311 undergraduates.
Two dimensions of achievement motivation (workmastery and competitive orientations; J. T.
Spence & R. L. Helmreich, 1983) predicted the goals endorsed. Individuals high in workmastery
were more likely to adopt mastery goals and less likely to adopt work avoidance goals, whereas
competitive individuals were more likely to endorse performance and work avoidance goals. Students
adopting mastery goals were more interested in the class, but students adopting performance goals
achieved higher levels of performance. These results suggest that both mastery and performance
goals can lead to important positive outcomes in college classes.
authors examined both the short-term and long-term consequences of students' achievement goals in an
introductory psychology course. Mastery goals positively predicted subsequent interest in the course, but
not course grades. Performance goals positively predicted grades, but not interest. Three semesters later,
the authors obtained measures of continued interest in the discipline and long-term performance. Mastery
goals predicted subsequent enrollment in psychology courses, whereas performance goals predicted
long-term academic performance. These positive and complementary effects of mastery and performance
goals on different measures of academic success are consistent with a multiple-goals perspective in which
both goals can have beneficial consequences in college education.
class, as well as the consequences of these goals for the motivation and performance of 311 undergraduates.
Two dimensions of achievement motivation (workmastery and competitive orientations; J. T.
Spence & R. L. Helmreich, 1983) predicted the goals endorsed. Individuals high in workmastery
were more likely to adopt mastery goals and less likely to adopt work avoidance goals, whereas
competitive individuals were more likely to endorse performance and work avoidance goals. Students
adopting mastery goals were more interested in the class, but students adopting performance goals
achieved higher levels of performance. These results suggest that both mastery and performance
goals can lead to important positive outcomes in college classes.
authors examined both the short-term and long-term consequences of students' achievement goals in an
introductory psychology course. Mastery goals positively predicted subsequent interest in the course, but
not course grades. Performance goals positively predicted grades, but not interest. Three semesters later,
the authors obtained measures of continued interest in the discipline and long-term performance. Mastery
goals predicted subsequent enrollment in psychology courses, whereas performance goals predicted
long-term academic performance. These positive and complementary effects of mastery and performance
goals on different measures of academic success are consistent with a multiple-goals perspective in which
both goals can have beneficial consequences in college education.