Goal Orientation and Learning Strategies in Relation to Academic Achievement of Elementary School Students

The paper is a study conducted to explore gender difference in goal orientation and learning strategies among elementary school students in relation to academic achievement. Elliot and Church’s (1997) Achievement Goal Questionnaire (AGQ) and Biggs’ (2001) revised two-factor study process Questionnaire were used to measure achievement goal orientation and learning strategies among elementary school students. A representative sample of two hundred students (102 boys and 98 girls) was drawn on random basis while giving due weightage to gender. Data were analysed with the help of tratios. Results revealed that high achiever elementary school students are better than low achiever in their performance approach, mastery goal, deep strategy and deep motive, whereas low achiever elementary school students were better in performance avoidance, surface strategy and surface motive dimension of goal orientation and learning strategies. High achiever elementary school boys are better than high achiever elementary school girls in case of mastery goal, deep strategy but high achiever elementary school girls are better than their low achiever counterparts in case of surface strategy. Low achiever elementary school girls are better than low achiever elementary school boys in case of performance approach and surface motive dimension of goal orientation and learning strategies.