The role of personal best (PB) and dichotomous achievement goals in students’ academic motivation and engagement: a longitudinal investigation

Abstract

This study assessed the role of prior personal best goals in predicting subsequent academic motivation and engagement. A total of 1160 high school students participated in a longitudinal survey study exploring the extent to which personal best and mastery and performance (dichotomous) achievement goals predict students’ academic motivation and engagement across the course of a full academic year. Findings showed that personal best goals predicted higher motivation and engagement a year later. Along with personal best goals, mastery goals also predicted higher motivation and engagement, while the role of performance goals was either neutral or negative. These findings provide support for the contention that personal best goals are associated with higher motivation and engagement across time.

Keywords:

• goals
• personal best (PB) goals
• mastery and performance goals
• academic growth
• motivation and engagement

Acknowledgements

Thanks are extended to Brad Papworth, Harry Nejad, Farideh Nejad and Marianne Mansour for data collection and data entry, Gregory Liem for data management, the Australian Research Council for funding, and participating schools and students.

Disclosure statement

The MES is a published instrument attracting a small fee that is put towards its ongoing development and administration and part of which is also donated to UNICEF. For this study, there was no fee involved for its use.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Australian Research Council [grant number DP140104294].