The dominant achievement goal in Dutch secondary education

The dominant achievement goal in dutch secondary education. Achievement goals are mindsets used in situations in which one has to perform, for instance in education. About 85% of the people have a dominant achievement goal (DAG, Van Yperen, 2006). The DAG is based upon the 2x2 achievement goal framework (Elliot & McGregor, 2001), which distinguishes performance-approach, performance-avoidance, mastery-approach, and mastery-avoidance goals. Both approach goals are positively associated with performance indicators while both avoidance goals are not, and mastery goals, but not performance goals, are positively associated with interest. The DAG-instrument renders the above four groups plus a group without DAG. Results. In higher tracks the percentage of students with a DAG is higher as well. Furthermore, in higher tracks, (1) the performance-approach goal group shrinks, (2) the mastery-approach goal group shrinks a lot, and (3) the mastery-avoidance goal group grows considerably. Thus higher tracks are associated with stronger avoidance orientations. The groups were compared on constructs related to performance, on school grades and on examination results several semesters later. On all the constructs the performance-approach group had the highest mean. The mastery-avoidance group scored lowest on effort-expenditure, competition, sensitivity to praise and self-efficacy. On Dutch, English, and Math the performance-approach group had higher school grades than all other groups and the mastery-avoidance group a higher grade Dutch than the remaining groups. The association with examination results was modest; on only four of the 10 exam measures there were differences above and beyond the influence of gender, perceived ability and self-efficacy.