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Focus on Competing for Performance or Mastering New Knowledge? Insights from Discovering the Relations Between Classroom Goal Structures and Students’ Learning in Singapore Secondary Schools

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Building Autonomous Learners

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Abstract

There have been heated debates on whether the focus on competition should be used as an approach to motivate learning and thus promote performance. This issue seems more salient in Singapore due to its highly competitive education system. Achievement goal theory was used to guide this research in the search for answers to this question. Data were collected from 8011 Secondary 3 students in 247 classes across 39 schools in Singapore. Two types of classroom environment were studied. One was classroom performance goal structure, which refers to the classroom climate focused on competing for performance; another was classroom mastery goal structure, which refers to the classroom climate focused on mastering new skills and knowledge. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was conducted to analyze multilevel data. The results from both English and mathematics classrooms showed consistent findings: classroom mastery goal structure was positively related to students’ academic self-efficacy, interest and enjoyment, personal mastery goal orientation, and engagement, whereas classroom performance goal structure was positively related to personal performance avoidance goal orientation and negatively related to academic achievement. Specifically, in English classrooms, classroom performance goal structure was positively related to avoidance coping and negatively related to engagement. In general, the results from the current study suggest that classroom mastery goal structure, rather than classroom performance goal structure, should be recommended as motivational strategies.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychological Studies Academic Group, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore

    Youyan Nie

Authors
  1. Youyan Nie
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Youyan Nie .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. National Inst of Edu, Singapore, Singapore

    Woon Chia Liu

  2. National Inst of Edu, Singapore, Singapore

    John Chee Keng Wang

  3. Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Strathfield, New South Wales, Australia

    Richard M. Ryan

Appendix

Appendix

Sample Items for Self-Report Scales

Classroom Mastery Goal Structure ( Four Items )

  1. 1.

    My math teacher wants us to really understand the subject, not just to remember facts or rules.

  2. 2.

    My math teacher really wants us to enjoy learning new things in math.

  3. 3.

    My math teacher tells us that it is very important to try hard.

  4. 4.

    My math teacher gives us time to learn new ideas.

Classroom Performance Goal Structure ( Four Items )

  1. 1.

    My math teacher tells the class which pupils are doing poorly in their work.

  2. 2.

    My math teacher calls on smart pupils more than other pupils.

  3. 3.

    My math teacher emphasizes that we do better than pupils in other classes.

  4. 4.

    My math teacher thinks that it is more important to do well in math tests than to learn new things.

Engagement ( Five Items )

  1. 1.

    In my math class, I pay attention well.

  2. 2.

    In my math class, I try my best to complete class work.

  3. 3.

    In my math class, I try my best to contribute during small group discussions.

  4. 4.

    In my math class, I share my ideas during group work.

  5. 5.

    In my math class, I try my best to contribute to group work.

Self - Efficacy ( Five Items )

  1. 1.

    I am sure I can learn the skills taught in math class well.

  2. 2.

    I can do almost all the work in math class if I do not give up.

  3. 3.

    If I have enough time, I can do a good job in all my math work.

  4. 4.

    Even if the work in math is hard, I can learn it.

  5. 5.

    I am sure I can do difficult work in my math class.

Interest ( Four Items )

  1. 1.

    I enjoy doing math.

  2. 2.

    I am really interested in math.

  3. 3.

    I think it’s great that I learn all sorts of things in math class.

  4. 4.

    I find math interesting.

Personal Mastery : Approach Goal ( Five Items )

  1. 1.

    An important reason I do my math work is that I like to learn new things.

  2. 2.

    I like the work in my math class best when it challenges me to think.

  3. 3.

    An important reason I do my work in math class is because I want to get better at it.

  4. 4.

    An important reason I do my math work is that I enjoy it.

  5. 5.

    An important reason I do my math work is that I want to learn challenging ideas well.

Personal Performance - Approach Goal ( Four Items )

  • I want to show pupils in my math class that I am smart.

  • I like to show my teacher that I am smarter than the other pupils in my math class.

  • It is important to me that the other pupils in my math class think I am smart.

  • I feel successful in math if I get better marks than most of the other pupils.

Avoidance Coping ( Three Items )

  1. 1.

    When the work in math is dull and boring, I stop doing it even if it is incomplete.

  2. 2.

    When the work in math is difficult, I give up.

  3. 3.

    When the work in math is difficult, I only study the easy parts.

Effort Withdrawal ( Four Items )

  1. 1.

    I wait until the last minute to study for a math test/exam.

  2. 2.

    I like math class best when I do not have to work hard.

  3. 3.

    I do not work hard on my math homework.

  4. 4.

    I try to put in the least effort in my math class.

Personal Performance - Avoidance Goal ( Four Items )

  1. 1.

    I do not participate in math class because I do not want to look stupid.

  2. 2.

    It is important that the other pupils in my math class do not think I am stupid.

  3. 3.

    I do my math work because I do not want the teacher to think that I am stupid.

  4. 4.

    I try to avoid answering questions because I am afraid of giving wrong answers.

Test Anxiety ( Five Items )

  1. 1.

    I worry a lot about math tests.

  2. 2.

    When taking math tests, I worry about doing poorly.

  3. 3.

    I feel uneasy when taking math tests.

  4. 4.

    I think a lot about how poorly I am doing when taking math tests.

  5. 5.

    I am nervous when taking math tests.

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Nie, Y. (2016). Focus on Competing for Performance or Mastering New Knowledge? Insights from Discovering the Relations Between Classroom Goal Structures and Students’ Learning in Singapore Secondary Schools. In: Liu, W., Wang, J., Ryan, R. (eds) Building Autonomous Learners. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-630-0_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-630-0_14

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-287-629-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-287-630-0

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