Is it promoted or endorsed achievement goals and underlying reasons that predict students’ intrinsic motivation?

Abstract

The aim of this research was to investigate (a) the effects of mastery-approach (MAp) and performance-approach (PAp) goals induced in an autonomous or a controlling condition to students’ intrinsic motivation through an experiment (Study 1), and (b) the relation of an endorsed achievement goal during a specific computerized game and the autonomous or controlling underlying reasons to students’ intrinsic motivation (Study 2) by using a cross-sectional design. In Study 1, 66 students from a private non-profit university in Ankara, Turkey were randomly assigned to four experimental conditions (mastery-approach goal with autonomous reasons, mastery-approach goal with controlling reasons, performance-approach goal with autonomous reasons, performance approach goal with controlling reasons) to play a computerized tennis like game. After the game they reported their intrinsic motivation as well as their achievement goal and underlying reasons during the game. The results of a MANOVA showed that there were no differences in participants’ intrinsic motivation across the four conditions. In Study 2, 110 students from a private non-profit university in Ankara, Turkey were asked to play the computerized tennis like game; they were not induced any conditions. The participants reported after the game their intrinsic motivation as well as their achievement goal and underlying reasons during the game. The results of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that reasons underlying achievement goals (AGs) were related to students’ intrinsic motivation. The findings of this study are discussed as well as implications for education and for further research.