Relationship between Achievement Goals and Students' Self-Reported Personal and Social Responsibility Behaviors

Abstract

This study utilized the 2x2 achievement goal model (mastery-approach, mastery-avoidance, performance-approach, performance-avoidance goals) to explore the relationships between achievement goals and self-reported personal and social responsibility behaviors in high school physical education settings. Two hundred and twenty one Turkish students completed questionnaires assessing their achievement goals, personal and social responsibility behaviors. Results of the one-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant differences among the four achievement goals, F(3, 660) = 137.05, p <.001, eta(2) =.39. The result also revealed that students were more likely to endorse the mastery-approach goal than three other goals. The simple correlations revealed mastery-approach and performance-approach goals were positively related to students' self-reported personal (r =.54, p <.001; r =.37, p <.001, respectively) and social responsibility (r =.38, p <.001; r =.22, p <.001, respectively) behaviors. However, hierarchical regression analyses indicated only the mastery-approach goal emerged as the significant positive predictor, b =.52, t(216) = 7.19, p <.001 for personal responsibility behaviors, and b =.41, t(216) = 5.23, p <.001 for social responsibility behaviors. These findings seem to provide convergent evidence that mastery-approach goals are positively related to positive educational outcomes.