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Version 1.3 – Updated November 2024

Performance goals

Overview

  • Influence: Performance goals
  • Domain: Student
  • Sub-Domain: Motivational approach/orientation
  • Potential to Accelerate Student Achievement: Likely to have a small positive impact
  • Influence Definition: Performance goals seek to demonstrate or compare's one ability to others. Students who set performance goals are often focused on winning, looking good (looking smart), and being evaluated well (getting good grades).

Evidence

  • Number of meta-analyses: 9
  • Number of studies: 625
  • Number of students: 15,556
  • Number of effects: 450
  • Weighted mean effect size: 0.04
  • Robustness index: 3

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 Performance approach 98 0 106 0.10
Human Performance van Yperen, Blaga, & Postmes Netherlands A meta-analysis of the impact of situationally induced achievement goals on task performance. 2014 Performance avoidance 98 0 31 -0.07
Journal of Applied Psychology Payne, Youngcourt, & Beaubien USA A meta-analytic examination of the goal orientation nomological net 2007 Avoidance goals 12 0 12 -0.10
Human Performance van Yperen, Blaga, & Postmes Netherlands A meta-analysis of the impact of situationally induced achievement goals on task performance. 2014 Performance goals on achievement 98 0 106 0.20
Journal of Applied Psychology Payne, Youngcourt, & Beaubien USA A meta-analytic examination of the goal orientation nomological net. 2007 Performance goals on achievement 44 0 44 0.02
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 Performance goals on achievement 10 0 10 -0.22
Korean Journal of Educational Psychology Song Korea A meta analysis of achievement goal-academic achievement relationships. 2012 Performance access 46 0 46 0.29
Korean Journal of Educational Psychology Song Korea A meta analysis of achievement goal-academic achievement relationships. 2012 Performance avoidance 39 0 39 -0.21
Educational Research Review Wirthwein, Sparfeldt, Pinquart, Wegerer, & Steinmay Germany Achievement goals and academic achievement: A closer look at moderating factors 2013 Performance achievement goals 180 15,556 56 0.01
TOTAL/AVERAGE 625 15,556 450 0.00
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