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Version 1.3 – Updated November 2024

Mastery goals

Overview

  • Influence: Mastery goals
  • Domain: Student
  • Sub-Domain: Motivational approach/orientation
  • Potential to Accelerate Student Achievement: Likely to have a small positive impact
  • Influence Definition: Mastery goals focus on learning, mastering a task according to self-set standards, or self-improvement. It also encompasses developing new skills, improving or increasing competence.

Evidence

  • Number of meta-analyses: 8
  • Number of studies: 655
  • Number of students: 100,500
  • Number of effects: 898
  • Weighted mean effect size: 0.19
  • Robustness index: 4

Meta-Analyses

Meta-Analyses
Journal Title Author First Author's Country Article Name Year Published Variable Number of Studies Number of Students Number of Effects Effect Size
Human Performance van Yperen, Blaga, & Postmes Netherlands A meta-analysis of the impact of situationally induced achievement goals on task performance 2014 Mastery approach 98 0 103 0.14
Human Performance van Yperen, Blaga, & Postmes Netherlands A meta-analysis of the impact of situationally induced achievement goals on task performance 2014 Mastery avoidance 98 0 65 -0.13
Human performance Baranik, Stanley, Bynum, & Lance USA Examining the construct validity of mastery-avoidance achievement goals: A meta-analysis 2010 Mastery avoidance 25 9,014 26 -0.18
Human Performance van Yperen, Blaga, & Postmes Netherlands A meta-analysis of the impact of situationally induced achievement goals on task performance. 2014 Mastery goals on achievement 98 0 103 0.28
Review of Educational Research Rolland USA Synthesizing the Evidence on Classroom Goal Structures in Middle and Secondary Schools: A Meta-Analysis and Narrative Review 2012 Mastery goals on achievement 12 0 103 0.04
Korean Journal of Educational Psychology Song Korea A meta analysis of achievement goal-academic achievement relationships. 2012 Mastery approach 54 0 54 0.51
Social Psychology of Education Noordzij, Giel, & van Mierlo Netherlands A meta-analysis of induced achievement goals: the moderating effects of goal standard and goal framing 2021 Mastery vs performance 90 11,247 235 0.58
Educational Research Review Wirthwein, Sparfeldt, Pinquart, Wegerer, & Steinmayr Germany Achievement goals and academic achievement: A closer look at moderating factors 2013 Mastery achievement goals 180 80,239 209 0.13
TOTAL/AVERAGE 655 100,500 898 0.17
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