The role of Achievement Goal Orientation and Self-efficacy Beliefs in Students' Learning Approaches

The purpose of this research is to investigate the role of achievement goal orientation and self-efficacy beliefs in learning approaches and explain the predictive model of students' learning approaches. Learning approach demonstrates the quality and manner of materials learning and consists of three levels: deep, achievement and surface. Achievement goal orientation refers to the reasons and objectives of learners for doing homework and includes performance-orientation, performance-avoidance, mastery-orientation and mastery-avoidance goals. Self-efficacy beliefs refer to individuals' judgments about their abilities and their competency in doing the homework successfully. The statistical population consisted of high school students of Bijar city. 280 students were selected from groups of mathematics, empirical and human sciences by stratified random sampling method. They answered the following questionnaires: study process questionnaire (SPQ) devised by Biggs (1987), achievement goal questionnaire (AGQ) devised by Elliot & MC Gregor (2001) and self- efficacy subscale of Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) devised by Pintrich & De Groot (1990). Results of Multiple regression analysis revealed that mastery-orientation (0/57) and performance-avoidance (-0/13) emerged as predictor of deep learning approach. Mastery-orientation (0/26) and performance-orientation (0/21) predicted achievement learning approach. Mastery-orientation (-0/45), performance-orientation (-0/16) and mastery-avoidance (0/13) emerged as positive predictor of surface learning approach. Results of simple regression analysis revealed that the ratio of self-efficacy in predicting deep learning approach, achievement learning approach and surface learning approach was 0/52 , -0/40 and –0/52, respectively. Evaluation of results not only reveals the interactions of cognitive and motivational patterns, but also includes significant points for educational systems.