Perception of Cooperation and Competition Are Associated With Mastery-Approach Goals

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 11:40 am Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Motivational Climates: Centering Teacher, Classroom, and School Processes (Table 10)

Abstract

Research on antecedents of mastery-approach goals has focused primarily on the role of psychological factors. However, the role of the school climate (i.e., peer climates) has seldom been explored. The present study aimed to test whether peer climate characterized by peer cooperation and competition are associated with mastery-approach goals. Data came from 565,732 students nested within 20,227 schools across 75 countries. The doubly-latent multilevel structural equation modelling method was used. Results indicated that both peer cooperation and competition facilitated students’ pursuit of mastery-approach goals. These associations held even after controlling for the impacts of achievement motives (work mastery and fear of failure) and other covariates. This study highlights the significant effects of cooperative and competitive climates in facilitating mastery-approach goals.

Keywords: mastery-approach goal, school climate, competition, cooperation

Authors

• Yikang Chen, Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Jianhua Zhang, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Ronnel B. King, Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Harold Chui, The Chinese University of Hong Kong