Achievement Goals and Maladaptive Learning: An Examination Within the Taiwanese Classroom

The present study investigated how Taiwanese children’s perceptions of classroom goal structure and personal goal orientations were related to each other and to their engagement in handicapping and test anxiety. Three hundred and twenty-six sixth-graders completed a self-report survey assessing their achievement goal orientations, perceptions of the classroom goal structure, use of self-handicapping strategies, and test anxiety. Results showed the consistently found effects of the perceived classroom goal structure on the analogous personal goal orientation. Moreover, significant effects of performance goal structure on students’ adoption of mastery goals were found in the present study, indicating the adaptive role of perceived multiple goal structures in Taiwanese students’ goal pursuits. In addition, findings regarding the significant interacting effects for mastery and performance goals on handicapping and test anxiety suggest that mastery goals may mitigate the maladaptive effects of performance goals. Implications of the findings for education are discussed.