The Influence of Goal Orientation on the Relationship between Situational Interest and Prior Knowledge

• In Event: Poster Session 8
  In Poster Session: Contextual and Cultural Influences on Motivation, Engagement, and Affect

Abstract

The current study examines how goal orientations influence the relationship between situational interest and prior knowledge. Within a performance-based context, mastery goals were associated with a preference for greater amounts of novelty, performance-approach goals were associated with a preference for a moderate amount of novelty, and performance-avoidant goals were associated with a preference for lower amounts of novelty. Additionally, performance-approach goals were associated with greater recall. This suggests that teachers and instructors should be cognizant of the classroom context they create as it impacts the goal orientation of their students and ultimately impacts the optimal pacing of instruction.

Author

• Mark Peter Schroeder, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater