Learning Mastery

What is it?

Achievement Goal Theory studies goals, motivations, and their impact on behavior and outcomes. It is the understanding of goals and how thinking and mental procedures are involved in the learning process.

Causes?

The leading cause for Learning mastery motivation, or task-involved goals, is student interest. Students interested in a subject will be motivated to engage within the class. When students' interest is delved into in a class, they will perform better overall. For example, if a student is interested in animals and a teacher is teaching a subject on ecosystems, they may be more motivated to work than a student who is less interested. Teacher and home influence play a role as well. "How is success defined? How are errors judged?" (Pintrich, 2000). Teachers and parents who give positive rewards and feedback, rather than "a sea of red," are shown to have more students/kids with mastery-based goals. When a teacher marks papers with red X's without explaining how a student can fix mistakes and improve, they can prove detrimental to a student's motivation. They may lead them to a more "performance avoidance" motivation, which we will learn about later.

Influence on Learning?

Students that have a learning mastery motivational pattern are more likely to ask for help, self regulate, find interest in their classes, and are generally more positive compared to students with performance approach or avoidance styles (Senko). They are less worried about judgement from their peers when failing and instead, use it as an opportunity to learn.

What can teachers do?

Teachers should get students to participate and put effort into their work, not guess and try to problem-solve the work. Teachers should let students struggle in a way where they are thinking and problem-solving.

Teachers should set goals for their students so they have the motivation to get their work done and put effort into it. The goal is to get students excited about what they are doing and what they are learning

Teachers should check in on individual work and see what is happening tell them what needs to be worked on and also give them praise on what they are doing well on.