The Interplay of Individual and Group Achievement Goal Orientation on Engagement in Small-Group Learning

• In Event: Collaborative Reasoning and Social Processes in Education and Psychology

Abstract

In their pursuit of student engagement, educational institutes have been implementing student-centered approaches to learning. In this study, we assessed the joint effects of individual and group achievement goal orientation on student engagement in a small group learning environment. Students (N = 905) from 105 groups rated their achievement goal orientation, while their engagement was rated by their teacher. Polynomial regression analyses indicated that individual and group achievement goal orientation interacted to affect engagement. The results showed the importance of a group climate that is focused on learning and self-development. Based on this, educational institutes might want to shape their culture to allow for a climate in which students are encouraged to make mistakes and focus on their own learning.

Authors

• Lisenne Giel, Erasmus University Rotterdam

• Gera Noordzij, Erasmus University

• Lisette Wijnia, Roosevelt Center for Excellence in Education. HZ University of Applied Sciences

• Vera Scholmerich

• Semiha Denktas, Erasmus University Rotterdam