Journal of Education and Human Development

Exploring the Relationships between Goal Orientations, Knowledge Monitoring and Academic Achievement
Christopher A. Was, Tara L. R. Beziat

Abstract
Although achievement goal orientation research has been a focus of educational psychology for more than 30 years, there is still a great deal of variance unaccounted for in the relationship between goal orientations and academic success. The current investigation was conducted to examine the influence of achievement goals on knowledge monitoring accuracy and academic performance. A total of 120 undergraduate educational psychology students (80 female, 40 male) participated in the current study. Knowledge monitoring and goal orientations were assessed via questionnaires and final exam scores were used to operationalize academic achievement. To test the causal effects among the previous variables, a path analysis was conducted. Correlational and path analyses indicated that the relationship between goal orientations and academic outcomes is perhaps mediated by the ability to accurately assess one’s existing knowledge but not, as previously believed, accurately assessing what one does not know. The metacognitive knowledge of knowing whether one knows, or sensitivity, appears to be a greater predictor of success than specificity, or knowing whether one does not know. Also, performance approach goal orientated individuals are more likely to succeed on a final exam than performance avoidant individuals. Further research should examine the relationship between sensitivity and mastery learning orientation for long-term learning outcomes.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jehd.v4n3a8