In Their Own Words: Reasons Underlying the Achievement Striving of Students in Schools

Achievement Goals 2

Supplemental Materials

In Their Own Words: Reasons Underlying the Achievement Striving of Students in Schools

by M. Lee & M. Bong, 2015, Journal of Educational Psychology

http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/edu0000048

Supplemental Material 1

Existing Goal Frameworks and Associated Survey Items in Comparison to Specific Goal Categories

Survey items
Achievement goal framework / Definition / Comparison with other goal frameworks / Observed in open-ended responses / Not observed in open-ended responses / Specific
goal categories / Results
C. (%) / R.
Midgley et al. / Underlying reasons for, or purposes of, achievement behavior / 439
(38.3) / 3
Mastery / Desire to develop competence for intrinsic reasons / More inclusive than Elliot & McGregor’s MAP because emotional aspects such as interest are integrated
Same as Grant & Dweck’s learning goal / It’s important to me that I learn a lot of new concepts this year.
One of goal in class is to learn as much as I can.
It’s important to me that I improve my skills this year.
One of my goals is to master a lot of new skills this year. / It’s important to me that I thoroughly understand my class work. / To gain knowledge
To improve ability
Because it is interesting
For my own satisfaction / 99
(8.6) / 7
Performance-approach (PAP) / Desire to demonstrate competence and do better than others / More inclusive than Elliot & McGregor’s PAP because concerns for ability validation and normative competence are integrated
Same as Grant & Dweck’s ability and normative goals combined / It’s important to me that other students in my class think I’m good at my class work.
One of my goals is to show others that I’m good at my class work.
One of my goals is to look smart in comparison to the other students in my class.
It’s important to me that I look smart compared to others in my class. / One of my goals is to show others that class work is easy for me. / To enter a prestigious school
To get a better job/career
To gain social recognition
To demonstrate ability
To do better than other students / 252
(22.0) / 3
Performance-avoidance (PAV) / Desire to avoid demonstrating incompetence and doing worse than others / More inclusive than Elliot & McGregor’s PAV because concerns for ability validation and normative competence are integrated / It’s important to me that I don’t look stupid in class.
One of my goals is to keep others from thinking I’m not smart in class.
One of my goals in class is to avoid looking like I have trouble doing the work. / It’s important to me that my teacher doesn’t think that I know less than others in class. / To avoid lagging behind in society
To avoid doing worse than other students
To avoid demonstrating a lack of ability / 88
(7.7) / 9

Supplemental Material 1 (continued)

Survey items
Achievement goal framework / Definition / Comparison with other goal frameworks / Observed in open-ended responses / Not observed in open-ended responses / Specific
goal categories / Results
C. (%) / R.
Elliot & McGregor / Cognitive dynamic focus in an achievement setting / 305
(26.6) / 4
Mastery-approach (MAP) / Focus on improving intra-individual competence / Narrower in scope than Midgley et al.’s mastery goal or Grant & Dweck’s learning goal because of its exclusive focus on competence / I want to learn as much as possible from this class. / It is important for me to understand the content of this course as thoroughly as possible.
I desire to completely master the material presented in this class. / To gain knowledge
To improve ability / 45
(3.9) / 12
Mastery-avoidance (MAV) / Focus on avoiding intra-individual incompetence / Unique to Elliot & McGregor’s framework / I worry that I may not learn all that I possibly could in this class.
I am often concerned that I may not learn all that there is to learn in this class. / Sometimes I’m afraid that I may not understand the content of this class as thoroughly as I’d like. / To avoid regret in the future
To avoid being ignorant* / 5
(0.4) / 14
Performance-approach (PAP) / Focus on attaining normative competence / Narrower in scope than Midgley et al.’s PAP because of its exclusive focus on normative competence / It is important for me to do better than other students.
It is important for me to do well compared to others in this class.
My goal in this class is to get a better grade than most of the other students. / To enter a prestigious school
To get a better job
To do better than other students / 190
(16.6) / 4
Performance-avoidance (PAV) / Focus on avoiding normative incompetence / Narrower in scope than Midgley et al.’s PAV because of its exclusive focus on normative incompetence / I just want to avoid doing poorly in this class.
My goal in this class is to avoid performing poorly.
My fear of performing poorly in this class is often what motivates me. / To avoid lagging behind in society
To avoid doing worse than other students / 65
(5.7) / 11

Supplemental Material 1 (continued)

Survey items
Achievement goal framework / Definition / Comparison with other goal frameworks / Overlapping in content with specific goal categories / Not overlapping with specific goal categories / Specific
goal categories / Results
C. (%) / R.
Grant & Dweck / Underlying reasons for, or purposes of, achievement behavior / 612
(53.4) / 1
Learning / Desire to develop competence for intrinsic reasons / More inclusive than Elliot & McGregor’s MAP because emotional aspects such as interest are integrated
Same as Midgley et al.’s mastery goal / I strive to constantly learn and improve in my courses.
In school, I am always seeking opportunities to develop new skills and acquire new knowledge.
In my classes, I focus on developing my abilities and acquiring new ones.
I really enjoy facing challenges, and I seek out opportunities to do so in my courses.
It is very important to me to feel that my coursework offers me real challenges. / I seek out courses that I will find challenging. / To gain knowledge
To improve ability
Because it is interesting
For my own satisfaction / 99
(8.6) / 7
Normative / Desire to outperform others / Only implicit distinction of approach and avoidance forms of normative goal
Same as Elliot & McGregor’s PAP and PAV combined / It is very important to me to do well in my courses compared to others.
I try to do better in my classes than other students.
A major goal I have in my courses is to get higher grades than the others students. / When I take a course in school, it is very important for me to validate that I am smarter than other students.
In school, I am focused on demonstrating that I am smarter than other students. / To enter a prestigious school
To get a better job/career
To do better than other students
To avoid lagging behind in society
To avoid doing worse than other students / 255
(22.3) / 2
Outcome / Desire to attain positive outcomes / Unique to Grant & Dweck’s framework / It is very important to me to do well in my courses.
I really want to get good grades in my classes.
A major goal I have in my courses is to perform really well. / To earn money
To advance to the next school level
To get a good score
To get a job
To avoid a bad score / 170
(14.8) / 5

Supplemental Material 1 (continued)

Survey items
Achievement goal framework / Definition / Comparison with other goal frameworks / Overlapping in content with specific goal categories / Not overlapping with specific goal categories / Specific
goal categories / Results
C. (%) / R.
Grant & Dweck
(continued)
Ability / Desire to validate ability / Only implicit distinction of approach and avoidance forms of ability goal / It is important to me to confirm my intelligence through my schoolwork.
In school, I am focused on demonstrating my intellectual ability.
One of my important goals is to validate my intelligence through my schoolwork. / To gain social recognition
To demonstrate ability
To protect my pride
To avoid demonstrating a lack of ability / 88
(7.7) / 9
Dowson & McInerney / Social reasons for wanting to achieve academically / 602
(52.5) / 2
Affiliation / Desire to become closer to others or feel a sense of belonging / I want to do well at school so that I can feel close to my group of friends.
When I want to do well at school, it’s so that I can have a lot of friends.
I try to understand my schoolwork so that I will feel part of my group of friends.
I do good schoolwork so that other people will want to be friends with me.
I do my best at school so that my friends and I will be able to stay together. / I try to do well at school so that I won’t feel left out if I don’t do well. / To fit into society well
To make friends / 18
(1.6) / 13
Approval / Desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval from significant others / I want to do well in my schoolwork to please my parents.
I do good work at school so that I can get praise from my parents. / I want to do well at school so that I can get praise from my teachers.
I do good work at school because I want to be recognized by my teachers. / To make my parents happy
To avoid parental pressure
To avoid letting my parents down / 164
(14.3) / 6

Supplemental Material 1 (continued)

Survey items
Achievement goal framework / Definition / Comparison with other goal frameworks / Overlapping in content with specific goal categories / Not overlapping with specific goal categories / Specific
goal categories / Results
C. (%) / R.
Approval (continued) / I want to get praise from my teachers for good schoolwork.
I try to do well at school to please my teachers.
Concern / Desire to help the development of others with knowledge and skills / I try to do well at school so that I can I help my friends with their schoolwork.
I do my best at school so that I can give my friends help with their schoolwork.
I want to do well at school so that I can help other students with their work.
I do good schoolwork so that I can help other students do well at school.
I do good schoolwork so that other people can learn things from me if they ask.
When I want to do well at school it’s so that I can help other students. / To help others* / - / -
Responsibility / Desire to fulfill duties and societal obligations / I want to do good schoolwork because other people expect it of me.
I want to do well at school so that I don’t get in any trouble.
I avoid getting into trouble at school by doing good schoolwork.
I do good schoolwork so that I don’t have any trouble with my parents or teachers. / I want to do well at school to show that I am being a responsible student.
When I do good schoolwork it’s to show that I am being a responsible student. / To fulfill my duty as a student
Because others ask me to / 93
(8.1) / 8

Supplemental Material 1 (continued)

Survey items
Achievement goal framework / Definition / Comparison with other goal frameworks / Overlapping in content with specific goal categories / Not overlapping with specific goal categories / Specific
goal categories / Results
C. (%) / R.
Status / Desire to attain or maintain better social positions / I do good schoolwork so that I can get a good job in the future.
I try to do well at school so that I can get a good job when I leave school.
I do good schoolwork so that I can have a good future.
I do well at school so that I can get a high-paying job later on.
I do my best in school because I am trying to have a good future.
I want to do well at school so that I can have lots of money later on. / To enter a prestigious school
To get a better job/career
To gain social recognition
To demonstrate ability
To do better than other students
To avoid lagging behind in society
To avoid doing worse than others
To avoid lagging behind in society
To avoid doing worse than others
To avoid demonstrating a lack of ability / 327
(28.5) / 1

Note. C. = counts; R. = rank. The frequency and rank results are from Study 1.

* Specific categories emerged only in Studies 2 and 3.

Achievement Goals 15

Supplemental Material 2

Specific Goal Categories With Keywords and Sample Statements

Keyword / Temporal distance / Specific category / Sample statements
School advancement / Future / To enter a prestigious school / “To enter a top-tier university” / “To enter a prestigious high school”
Dream / Future / To make my dream come true / “To make my dream come true” / “To do what I want to do in the future” / “For my own future”
Money / Future / To earn money / “To become rich” / “To be well-off” / “To support myself in the future”
Parents / Present / To make my parents happy / “To make my parents happy” / “To satisfy my parents’ expectations” / “To be a good child to my parents”
Job / Future / To get a better job/career / “To be employed in a prestigious company” / “To have a better career in the future”
Parents / Present / To avoid parental pressure / “To avoid my mom’s nagging” / “Because of pressure from my parents” / “Because my parents will hate it if I don’t study”
Duty / Present / To fulfill my duty as a student / “Because studying is students’ duty” / “Because of my sense of duty” / “Because I should do it”
School advancement / Future / To advance to the next school level / “To be able to enter high school” / “To be able to enter college”
Wellbeing / Future / For my own wellbeing / “For my happiness in the future” / “To live in comfort” / “For a stable life”
Duty / Present / Because others ask me to / “Because others force me to” / “Because that’s what everyone else is doing” / “Because that’s what society requires”
Ability validation / Future / To gain social recognition / “To attain a higher social status” / “To become a successful figure in the future” / “To succeed in the future”
Normative competence / Future / To avoid lagging behind in society / “To avoid lagging behind in the future” / “Not to be a loser in this competitive society” / “Because I might become a failure if I don’t study”
Knowledge / Present / To gain knowledge / “To accumulate knowledge” / “To learn something new” / “To learn what I didn’t know before”
Satisfaction / Present / For my own satisfaction / “For my own satisfaction” / “To feel a sense of accomplishment” / “Because doing well makes me feel good”

Supplemental Material 2 (continued)