Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identifier

446

Donna R. Gray

Date

2011

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Ed Psychology and Research

Concentration

Educational Psychology

Committee Chair

Christian E. Mueller

Committee Member

Yeh Hsueh

Committee Member

Martin Jones

Abstract

Despite decades of research on achievement goals, little research evaluates achievement goal orientations in African American students, particularly African American males. This study, therefore, examines the relationship between students' achievement goal orienations and students' academic self-efficacy. A social cognitive framework describes this association, and the relationship between students' achievement goal orientations and students' perceptions of the classroom goal structures. In addition, the relationship between students' achievement goal orientations and students' beliefs about the relevance of school for future success was analyzed. Participants were eighth-grade students (N = 70) enrolled in a charter school in the Knowledge is Power Program. Results of the investigationrevealed that the males and females do not differ in their goal orientations. The results also indicated that mastery goal orientations and academic self-efficacy are positively correlated; however, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance were not related to academic self-efficacy. Results indicated that all three goal orientations of students were positively correlated with their respective classroom goals structures. Finally, as hypothesized, regression analyses revealed that mastery goal orientations, performance-approach goal orientations, and academic self-efficacy were found to be significant predictors for students' educational aspirations and students' beliefs about the relevance of school for future success.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to the local University of Memphis Electronic Theses & dissertation (ETD) Repository.

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