Situating Achievement Goals in Collaborative Contexts: Shared Goals

• In Event: 44.060 - Achievement Goal Theory: Continuing the Conversation

Abstract

While achievement goal theorists consider the context-dependency of achievement goals (Ames, 1992), the focus remains at the analytic level of the individual and draws from primarily social-cognitive approaches. The current study, adopts a situative lens to investigate motivation within collaborative groups as negotiated motivational norms for participation (Jarvela, et al., 2010). We developed an analytic framework for operationalizing shared achievement goals, and applied it to examine collaborative groups during 7th grade inquiry science units, using qualitative analysis of videorecorded observations. Results indicate that collaboration and high-quality content processing (e.g., elaboration) are intertwined with shared mastery goals, while status hierarchies using relative ability standards sustained shared performance goals. Implications for the role of performance goals in social interaction are discussed.

Authors

• Karlyn R. Adams-Wiggins, Portland State Univeristy

• Toni Kempler Rogat, Purdue University

• Temitope Adeoye, Purdue University

• Zhiping Zhang, Purdue University