The Relations Between Student Motivational Beliefs and Cognitive Engagement in High School

• Published in: The Journal of educational research (Washington, D.C.) Vol. 102; no. 6; pp. 463 - 472
• Main Authors: Walker, Christopher O., Greene, Barbara A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA Heldref 01.07.2009; Heldref Publications; Taylor & Francis; Taylor & Francis Inc
• Subjects: Academic achievement; Achievement; achievement goals; Adolescents; Banduras; Behavior; Beliefs; Biological and medical sciences; Child development; Classroom environment; Classrooms; cognitive engagement; Educational Environment; Educational psychology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Goal Orientation; Group Unity; High School Students; Learner Engagement; Learning; Mastery Learning; Motivation; Motivation research; perceived instrumentality; Perception; Perceptions; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Pupil and student. Academic achievement and failure; Secondary schools; Self Efficacy; Sensory perception; Student Attitudes; Student Behavior; student belonging; Student Motivation; Student participation; Students; United States > US; Oklahoma; Human; Belief; Grammar school; Academic achievement; student belonging; Self perception; Student; achievement goals; Academic ability; cognitive engagement; Motivation; Adolescent; self-efficacy; Self efficacy; per- ceived instrumentality
• ISSN: 0022-0671; 1940-0675
• DOI: 10.3200/JOER.102.6.463-472

The authors examined relations among student perceptions of classroom achievement goals, self-efficacy, perceived instrumentality of classroom work, and sense of belonging within a classroom. Participants were 249 high school students. The authors also examined how cognitive engagement was predicted by those variables along with personal achievement goals (mastery and performance approach). The results indicate that the adoption of mastery goals was predicted by perceived instrumentality, self-efficacy, and belonging, whereas cognitive engagement was predicted by belonging and perceived instrumentality. Last, the authors found that a classroom promoting a mastery orientation was predictive of a student's sense of belonging. They discuss the importance of mastery-oriented classrooms.