Achievement Goal Theory

Overview

• Achievement Goal Theory is a motivation-oriented theory that focuses on how students achieve goals, deal with failure, and engage in classroom activities.
• Developed by Carol Dweck, a renowned psychologist with a PhD from Yale, currently a professor at Stanford University.
• Emphasizes fostering a growth mindset and moving away from a fixed mindset to improve mastery-oriented learning.

Frameworks for Understanding Intelligence

• Entity Framework (Fixed Mindset):

  • Intelligence and competency are innate and unchangeable.
  • Success is measured by performing better than others.

• Incremental Framework (Growth Mindset):

  • Intelligence can be improved over time.
  • Success is driven by self-improvement and a love for learning.

Mindset Comparisons

• Growth Mindset:

  • Views failure as an opportunity to grow.
  • Welcomes challenges as opportunities for growth.

• Fixed Mindset:

  • Sees failure as a limitation of abilities.
  • Avoids challenges that threaten perceived intelligence.

Goal Orientations

• Mastery Orientation:

  • Focuses on developing competence and improving skills.
  • Motivated by a love for learning (e.g., enjoys studying science).

• Performance Orientation:

  • Concentrates on demonstrating competence relative to others.
  • Vulnerable to challenges that may affect their self-image.

Subsets of Goal Orientations

• Mastery Approach:

  • Focuses on learning and overcoming challenges.
  • Example: A student works hard in science because they enjoy it.

• Mastery Avoidance:

  • Strives to avoid a lack of mastery or failure.
  • Example: A student is concerned about not learning everything they want.

• Performance Approach:

  • Seeks to prove ability relative to others.
  • Example: Answering questions to show knowledge.

• Performance Avoidance:

  • Avoids demonstrating ability due to fear of incompetence.
  • Example: Hesitant to answer questions in class due to fear of looking incompetent.

Identifying Mindsets in the Classroom

• Skills:

  • Fixed: Skills seen as innate and unchangeable.
  • Growth: Skills can be improved through hard work.

• Challenges:

  • Fixed: Avoid challenges to prevent vulnerability.
  • Growth: Embrace challenges as growth opportunities.

• Effort:

  • Fixed: Effort seen as unnecessary.
  • Growth: Effort is essential for mastery.

• Feedback:

  • Fixed: Viewed as a personal attack.
  • Growth: Feedback is a tool for improvement.

• Setbacks:

  • Fixed: Blame others and become discouraged.
  • Growth: Use setbacks as learning opportunities.

Promoting Growth Mindset and Mastery Orientation

• Demonstrate that mistakes are part of learning.
• Teach perseverance and value challenges.
• Use diverse teaching strategies.
• Give feedback that emphasizes growth.
• Promote self-evaluation through questioning.
• Use growth mindset vocabulary change, e.g., "I'm not good at this" to "What am I missing?"