The present study investigated multilevel models posited to predict student approaches to homework. Participants were 1,072 middle school students in China. Results revealed that deep and surface approaches were positively associated with performance-approach. Furthermore, deep approach to homework was associated negatively with homework cost, yet…

Students have misconceptions about many scientific topics they encounter in the classroom--such misconceptions are especially rife in subjects with counterintuitive concepts. Several studies have copiously documented students' misconceptions in different science domains. Research shows that students' misconceptions can be resistant to change and…

Many studies have already found differences between male and female students in various motivational variables. With regard to the stereotypes associated to different school subjects, boys usually are more motivated in math or sciences whereas girls score higher in verbal subjects such as languages. Studies investigating sex differences in…

Whereas it is often a challenge to keep students motivated and interested in academic tasks, it is more of a challenge to have students stay motivated and interested in academic tasks outside school during nonschool hours--homework. Prior research, however, has largely overlooked the reasons or purposes students have for doing homework and their…

Based on the self-system model of motivational development, we examined the mediating role of school engagement, including cognitive engagement and behavioral engagement, in accounting for the relation between mastery goal orientations and subjective well-being in school among elementary school students. A total of 974 Chinese children (440…

It is generally accepted and well documented that mastery goal orientation positively affects students' learning behavior. However, less is known about this association in self-directed learning during adolescence, which additionally promotes student's positive emotions. This study tested whether positive emotions mediate the association between…

Although approach forms of achievement goals (mastery and performance goals) have been shown to predict academic achievement in college, recent research underscores that these associations are rather weak and not consistently observed. The present study tests students' social class (in the present research, generational status) as a moderator of…

Students' goal strivings are known to be connected with important outcomes, both academically and with regard to individual well-being. In spite of their importance, our knowledge of factors contributing to their early development is rather limited. In this longitudinal study on school beginners (N = 212), we focused on the interrelationships…

This paper presents a Vygotskian research device that focuses on collaborative activities based on the manipulation of linguistic objects in a primary school classroom, with 8-9-year-old children. Through social exchanges among the different points of view, the children were engaged in a dynamic process of building and negotiating mathematical…

Children's motivation to master challenging tasks is an important predictor of school success, and yet, such motivation declines during adolescence. It is therefore important to identify ways to intervene to reduce this decline. One malleable factor that is associated with motivation is parenting. The present study used structural equation…

Examining how students' epistemic beliefs (EB) influence their cognition is central to EB research. Recently, the relation between students' EB and their motivation has gained attention. In the present study, we investigate the development of the relationship between students' EB and their achievement goals (AG) over grades 5-11. Previous studies…

In this research, we examined cross-domain effects of achievement goals. In two experimental studies, we manipulated achievement goals and assessed social reactions towards a hypothetical (study 1) and a real (study 2) target. Measurement of social reactions included prosocial behaviours such as helping, sharing and cooperating with others.…

The role of mastery and performance goals in self-regulated learning (SRL) has received much attention. However, in collectivist and Confucian-heritage contexts, social-academic goals may also play an important, yet unexamined role in SRL. This study examined the association between social-academic goals and SRL. We tested a hierarchical model…

In this longitudinal study, we examined teachers' self-efficacy as a long-term predictor of their mastery goal orientation and three dimensions of instructional quality: supportive classroom climate, effective classroom management, and cognitive activation. Mastery goal orientation was also analyzed as a predictor of instructional quality.…

In the area of achievement motivation, students' beliefs pertaining to achievement goals and perceived control have separately guided a large amount theoretical and empirical research. However, limited research has considered the simultaneous effects of goals and control on achievement. The purpose of this study was to examine primary and…