Motivation: cognitive approach: Goal setting theory Flashcards
What is Goal Setting theory?
the idea that the goal is what the person is trying to achieve to satisfy their emotions and desires
What do goals do?
they motivate people to close the gap between
current condition and ideal condition
How does goal setting improve performance?
directing attention
increasing persistence
encouraging the development of new knowledge and strategies
increasing self-regulated learning
What factors make goals effective?
SMART goals Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Time bound
goal difficulty, acceptance and commitment to goals
feedback about goals
What should teachers do regarding goal setting?
encourage students to participate in goal setting
set specific, clear goals for those with low motivation
set realistic but challenging goals
set goals which can be achieved in a short period of time
provide students with good feedback
Motivation and Goal orientation
the types of goals we set influence the amount of motivation we have to reach them
4 types:
Work avoidant, Social, Master, Performance
What are mastery goals?
like challenges
persist in difficulty
motivated to improve their knowledge and learn despite mistakes
focus on task and learning performance not achievement
What are performance goals?
demonstrating ability and performing to others is main concern
focus on grades and winning
easily discourage if don’t get the grades
put in effort to outperform others
Mastery VS Performance
don’t differ in intelligence
do differ in behaviour
teachers should aim for mastery
Mastery goal-oriented will achieve better
Performance goals may not be all bad - competition
Mastery persist in response to failure whereas performance act helplessly and have lower problem solving abilities
what are mastery and performance goals split into?
Approach oriented
Avoidance oriented
What is mastery approach oriented?
Aim to truly master academic tasks
What is mastery avoidance oriented?
seek to avoid misunderstanding
What is performance approach oriented?
motivated to show they have more ability than others
What is performance avoidance oriented?
seek to avoid looking incompetent/stupid in eyes of others
Elliot and Moller (2008)
performance goals may actually be good
they can increase self-esteem
inclusion of competition helps motivate some students
young children gain new info by comparing themselves to others
Van Ypren, Elliot and Ansel (2009)
Mastery goals are used by 33% of individuals in an academic setting and 49% in work setting
Mastery -avoidance goals are most important to people as they want to avoid misunderstanding
Brophy (2005)
Performance goals are bad and don’t exist
should move away from them as they impair performance
when students are asked about their goals no-one mentions performance goals
Midgley, Kaplan and Middleton (2001)
Both mastery and performance goals are associated with high self-esteem
Linnenbrink-Garcia et al (2012)
students may pursue both Mastery and Performance goals at once
not an and/or situation
Educational implications
convince students that learning rather than grades is the purpose of academic work
emphasise practical importance of material
de-emphasise grades and other awards
use tasks that are challenging and related to real life
allow students to progress at own rate/set own goals
