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Reciprocal relations between achievement goals and academic performance in a collectivist higher education context: a longitudinal study

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Abstract

This study examined the bidirectional longitudinal relations between achievement goals and academic performance among Chinese college students. The Achievement Goal Questionnaire was administered to a sample of Chinese college students (N = 311) in their first and third years of study. Their end-of-term grade point averages were used as measures of their academic performance. Two-wave longitudinal data were collected and analyzed using a longitudinal design within a structural equation modeling framework. The results revealed positive reciprocal relations between performance approach goals and academic performance and negative reciprocal relations between performance avoidance goals and academic performance. In contrast, mastery goals were not significantly associated with academic performance. The implications of these results are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, China

    Min An

  2. School of Education, Linyi University, Linyi, China

    Min An

  3. Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China

    Xiao Zhang

  4. School of Fine Arts, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China

    Ying Wang

  5. School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China

    Jingxin Zhao

  6. School of Chinese as a Second Language, Peking University, Beijing, China

    Lingyue Kong

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  1. Min An
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Contributions

Min An: conceptualization, formal analysis, writing–original draft, writing–review and editing, writing–revision. Xiao Zhang: conceptualization, data curation, investigation, methodology, project administration, resources, writing–review and editing, writing–revision. Ying Wang: data curation, investigation, project administration, resources, writing–review and editing, validation, writing–revision. Jingxin Zhao: data curation, writing–review and editing, writing–revision. Lingyue Kong: resources, writing–review and editing, writing–revision.

All authors contributed to the study conception. Data analysis was performed by Min An. Material preparation, data collection, and design were performed by Xiao Zhang, Ying Wang, Jingxin Zhao, and Lingyue Kong. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Min An and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Xiao Zhang or Ying Wang.

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The procedure of this study was reviewed and approved by the IRB of Beijing Normal University. Written consent was obtained from the participants of this study.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Authors’ Current themes of research:

Min An’s current themes of research include motivation and learning, educational measurement and evaluation, and curriculum and instruction. Xiao Zhang’s current themes of research include motivation and learning, mathematics education, and early childhood education. Ying Wang’s current themes of research include achievement motivation and teacher education. Jingxin Zhao’s current themes of research include human development and educational assessment. Lingyue Kong’s current themes of research include learning and teaching Chinese as a second language.

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An, M., Zhang, X., Wang, Y. et al. Reciprocal relations between achievement goals and academic performance in a collectivist higher education context: a longitudinal study. Eur J Psychol Educ 37, 971–988 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-021-00572-y

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