Achievement Goal Orientation: A Predictor of Student Engagement

• In Event: Creating Supportive Structures for Student Success in Higher Education

Abstract

Achievement goal orientation has been studied within education for decades, but the implications are often focused on K-12 students and less often on higher education. Previous research has linked the construct to student achievement, along with stress and anxiety that accompanies challenging new material. This study uses achievement goal orientation as a framework for exploring student engagement in postsecondary education. Data was drawn from approximately 8,000 college students across 15 different institutions participating in the National Survey of Student Engagement. Through a series of ordinary least squares regression analyses, results suggest students who employ a mastery-approach orientation are more likely to partake in a variety of engagement indicators, such as reflective & integrative learning, higher-order learning, quantitative reasoning, and student-faculty interaction. Performance-avoidance orientation generally showed a negative relationship with engagement indicators, while results for the performance-approach orientation were more mixed.

Authors

• Angie Miller, Indiana University Bloomington

• Kyle Fassett, Indiana University Bloomington

• Dajanae Palmer, Indiana University Bloomington