Associations Between Achievement Goal Orientations, Preferred Learning Practices, and Motivational Evaluations of Learning Environment Among Finnish Military Reservists

Abstract

In this study, it was examined whether individuals' self-efficacy, preferred forms in learning, and evaluations of the learning environment vary as a function of their goal orientation profiles. It was also explored whether the preferred forms in learning played a role in this association. The participants were 177 reservists of Finnish Defense Forces participating in rehearsal training exercises. Four homogeneous groups based on goal orientation profiles were found: mastery oriented (n = 47, 26.5%), success-performance oriented (n = 49, 27.7%), indifferent (n = 43, 24.3%), and avoidance oriented (n = 38, 21.5%). The mastery-oriented group and the success-performance-oriented group reported higher levels in self-efficacy, legislative form in learning, and mastery goal structure when compared to the avoidance-oriented group or to the indifferent group. The avoidance-oriented group reported elevated levels of perceived strain and performance goal structure in comparison to the mastery-oriented group. Controlling the learners' preferences for different forms in learning revealed some slight differences in the observed pattern of between-group differences regarding perceptions of performance goal structure and self-efficacy. Controlling for the legislative form of learning diminished the difference between the mastery-oriented and the avoidance-oriented groups in perceptions of performance goal structure, and controlling for the executive form of learning revealed differences between success-performance oriented and the indifferent and the avoidance oriented. The role of the learning environment in highlighting certain types of activities in learners' choices and the relevance of this regarding their goal preferences are discussed.

Keywords: goal orientation; learning environment; motivation; self-efficacy; thinking styles.

Figure 1

Standardized mean scores on achievement-goal orientation scales as a function of group membership. Mint, mastery-intrinsic orientation; Mext, mastery-extrinsic orientation; Papr, performance-approach orientation; Pavo, performance-avoidance orientation; Wavo, work-avoidance orientation.