Achievement goals, engagement and achievement of African American and White middle school students
Abstract
The present study investigated the relationships among mastery, performance approach and performance avoidance achievement goals, school engagement and academic achievement for African American and White middle school students. One hundred and ninety-two male and female African American ( n = 96) and White (n = 96) seventh grade students from two suburban, public middle schools were administered two self report questionnaires. Student grades were also collected. Results of MANOVA indicated significant differences in engagement and achievement of White and African American students. Race, gender, Performance Avoidance goals, and Ongoing Engagement significantly predicted English grades. Results suggest that mastery goals appear to be positively related to achievement, particularly for African American males. Results also suggest that educators should promote a mastery approach to learning and minimize practices which may reinforce fear of failure (performance avoidance), as this style may be most strongly related to lower achievement levels.
Subject Area
Black studies|Behavioral psychology|Educational psychology|African American Studies
Recommended Citation
Billotti, Shari, "Achievement goals, engagement and achievement of African American and White middle school students" (2009). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI3361348.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI3361348
