1. Why Don’t My Students Focus on Meaningful Learning
Why Don’t My Students Focus on Meaningful Learning? Why Do Some Even Sabotage Their Own Learning?
Goal Theory

2. Achievement Goal Theory
Learning/Mastery Goal Orientation
Goal is to learn something from engaging in the task (develop competence).
Performance Goal Orientation
Focus not on learning, but on the outcome and how you look compared to others.
Performance-Approach Goals
Focus on demonstrating competence (want to look good in comparison to others).
Performance-Avoid Goals
Focus on avoiding demonstrating incompetence (want to avoid looking bad in comparison to others).

3. Performance-Approach
Where are you?
Which box is best?
Mastery/Learning Goal Orientation
High
Low
I want to get good grades & show others I’m smart
High
I want to learn & be one of the best
I want to look smart but worry about looking dumb.
Performance-Approach
Goal Orientation
I like to learn & don’t care so much about grades or what others think
I could care less about learning and what others think.
Low
Low
Performance-Avoid
Goal Orientation
I like learning but worry
about appearing incompetent
Please don’t let me look dumb!
High

4. Outcomes Related to Goals
Learning/Mastery Goal Orientation
Predicts use of deep-level learning strategies, self-efficacy, interest and other adaptive outcomes.
Students seek out optimal challenges.
But doesn’t always predict achievement.
Performance-Approach Goals Orientation
Sometimes predicts achievement (more so in college)
Often associated with use of surface-level (e.g., memorization, cramming) instead of deep-level learning strategies.
Students often avoid challenges.
Can change to a performance-avoid orientation when the student struggles.

5. Outcomes Related to Goals
Performance-Avoid Goal Orientation
Predicts lower achievement.
Related to use of surface-level learning strategies.
Students seek out the very easiest tasks (guaranteed success) or impossible tasks (so even if they fail at the task they won’t look dumb).
Related to the negative aspects of self-worth validation such as self-handicapping.

6. Self-Worth Validation
The Covington (1992) chapter has great information on ways that students engage in maladaptive motivation patterns because they are focused on preserving their self-worth. Such patterns include:
Self-handicapping.
Students do things to avoid looking dumb (such as purposely not trying) that, unfortunately, undermine their learning and achievement (“Nobody can think I’m dumb if they know I didn’t even try”).
Poor goal setting
Choose easy goals that guarantee success (but don’t require any learning) or impossibly difficult goals (“Nobody will think I’m incapable if I fail, because nobody could be expected succeed”).
Focus on avoiding “acting white”
Purposely underachieving or hiding your achievement, because such achievement is viewed negatively by your peer group.

7. Performance-Avoid Behaviors
A sports team playing “not to lose.”
A student in gym class choosing to only try half-court shots (don’t have to worry about failing because no one expects you to make it anyway!).
A student goofing off instead of trying on a test (No one can conclude that you’re not smart if you didn’t even try!).
A student being a class clown instead of trying to participate.
A student bragging about not studying.
A student who enjoys science choosing not to take an advanced science class because he is concerned about not doing well.

8. Other Differences between a Learning/Mastery Orientation and a Performance Orientation
Learning Goals
Bored by easy tasks.
View effort as necessary to learning.
More self-regulated.
Intrinsically motivated
Evaluate performance in terms of progress
View errors as normal and useful for learning.
Are satisfied with performance if they try hard.
Attribute failure to internal, controllable things (mainly effort or strategy).
View teacher as a resource and guide.
Performance Goals
Relieved by easy tasks.
View effort as sign of low competence.
Less self-regulated.
Extrinsically motivated
Evaluate performance relative to others.
View errors as sign of failure and incompetence.
Are satisfied with performance only if they succeed.
Attribute failure to internal, uncontrollable things (mainly ability).
View teacher as a judge and as a rewarder or punisher.

9. Environmental conditions that foster learning or performance goals.
Learning Goals
Performance Goals
Success defined as . ..
Value placed on . . .
Teacher oriented toward
View of errors . . .
Focus of attention . . .
Evaluation criteria . . .
Improvement
Effort/learning
How students are learning.
Part of learning.
Process of learning.
Absolute, progress.
High grades, *normative performance.
Normative high ability.
How students are performing.
Problems.
Own performance relative to others.
High grades, performing better than others.
Overall . . .
The process of learning and/or the usefulness of the task is emphasized.
Social comparison and public observation of performance is emphasized.
* “Normative” means in comparison with others Adapted from Ames & Archer (1988)

10. To foster learning goals
Emphasize the process of learning.
Emphasize the usefulness and meaning of the learning activity and content. Avoid treating learning activities or outcomes as ends unto themselves.
Avoid social comparison (including individual competition).
Avoid public evaluation of performance or try to make it less salient.

11. TARGET Model Task Authority Recognition Grouping Evaluation Time
An approach to fostering
a mastery goal orientation
(from the Ames, 1992 article)
Meaningful
Optimal challenge
Focus on mastering
Task
Students have choice & control
Sense of autonomy
Authority
Focus on personal accomplishment
Recognition
Group by interest or heterogeneous grouping instead of ability grouping.
Grouping
Provide informative feedback
De-emphasize comparison with others.
Opportunities for improvement, mistakes
Evaluation
Flexible
Allow for completion of complex projects
Time

12. What impact might proficiency testing have on the type of goals that students adopt?

13. What is Calvin’s goal orientation in these strips?

14. Other Goals Variations of the performance-avoid orientation:
Work-avoidance goal (just want to avoid doing work).
Social Goals
What to fit in with a peer group (that may or may not value school).
Want to be cool; impress a girl/guy.
Satisfy basic needs.
Achievement may not even be on a student’s radar because he/she is lacking the basic needs of safety, security, food, etc.