Perceived Goal Structure vs. Perceived Instructor Mindset: Exploring Two Measures of Motivational Microclimate in STEM (Poster 13)

• In Event: Thursday Poster Session 9:00 am
  In Poster Session: Motivational Beliefs, Context, and Consequences

Abstract

Motivation research on mindsets and goal orientations has traditionally focused on students. Recently, however, questions about how instructional contexts create motivational climates and microclimates (Robinson, 2023) have gained attention. In this study, we examined the associations between measures of the motivational microclimate as well as the extent to which each measure uniquely predicts students’ motivation, psychological experiences, self-regulation behaviors, and performance in a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field. Our results showed perceptions of goal structures and mindsets were distinct, and that goal structures were the strongest predictors of outcomes (with mastery goal structure most strongly predicting motivation and performance goal structure most strongly predicting psychological experiences/behaviors), suggesting these variables share conceptual overlap and exhibit empirical differences.

Authors

• Nathaniel Woznicki, New York University

• Julie Sievers, University of Texas at Austin

• Madeline Celeste O'Grady, University of Texas at Austin

• Katherine M. Muenks, University of Texas at Austin