A meta-analysis of induced achievement goals: the moderating effects of goal standard and goal framing

In this paper, we present a meta-analysis of the motivational and performance effects of experimentally induced achievement goals and the moderating effects of goal standard and goal framing; comprising 90 studies which provided 235 effect sizes (11,247 participants). The findings show that, relative to performance-approach and performance-avoidance goals and no-goals, induced mastery-approach goals enhanced performance, but not motivation. With regards to the goal standard used in the inducement, mastery-approach goals related to better performance than performance-approach goals, when mastery-approach goals were based on task-referenced standards or when social comparison was used as a standard for inducing performance-approach goals. With regards to the goal framing used in the inducement, mastery-approach goals were more beneficial when achievement goals were induced by means of goal content. We therefore conclude that goal framing and goal standard should be taken into consideration in achievement goal research and practice

When birds of the same feather fly together: the impact of achievement goal compatibility in collaborative learning

In their pursuit of student engagement and achievement, educational institutes have increasingly been implementing student-centred approaches to learning with collaborative learning. In this study, we assessed the (mis)match effects of personal and group members’ achievement goals on student engagement and performance. Students (N = 266) from 36 different groups rated their achievement goals, their group members’ achievement goals, and their engagement for a course. Their exam performance was also included in the analysis. The results of the polynomial regression analyses indicated that both the degree of the compatibility and the direction of the incompatibility in mastery goals related to engagement, while only the degree in incompatibility in mastery goals related to performance. Conversely, neither the compatibility nor the incompatibility in performance goals related to engagement or performance. The results show the importance of examining the interplay between students’ and their group members’ achievement goals for student outcomes in a collaborative learning environment