Stability and change in achievement goals during the COVID-19 pandemic - Protective factors contributing to motivational resilience

Q: What achievement goals are compared in the study?

The study uses a 2×2 framework comprising mastery-approach, mastery-avoidance, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance goals.

Q: How did achievement goal endorsement change during emergency distance education?

Performance-approach goal scores decreased significantly across the two learning conditions, while mastery-approach goals did not show a significant decrease.

Q: Which factors helped explain motivation during online learning?

Student-perceived teacher support and the physical learning environment significantly predicted motivation-related outcomes during emergency distance education.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Mabel

The article examines stability and change in students’ achievement goal endorsement during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing protective factors linked to motivational resilience. Data from 300 Chinese undergraduate students across multiple majors compare a 2×2 achievement goal framework (mastery-approach, mastery-avoidance, performance-approach, performance-avoidance) before and during emergency distance education. Results show performance-approach goal scores decreased across conditions, while mastery-approach did not significantly decline, indicating intrinsic motivation stability. Teacher support and the physical learning environment predict key motivation outcomes during online learning.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Achievement Goal Theory

2×2 Achievement Goal Framework

Asian Journal of Contemporary Education ISSN(e): 2617-1252 DOI: 10. 55493/5052 . v8i2 .5185 Vol. 8, No. 2, 126-135. © 2024 AESS Publications. All Rights Reserved. Stability and change in achievement goals during the COVID-19 pandemic: Protective factors contributing to motivational resilience Zhuqing Lin1 Jianling Xie2+ Katarzyna Gallo3 Isabella Rae Montecillo4 Kristieona Epting5 Samuel Stewart6 Julianna Hynes7 1Nanchang Hangkong University, China. 1Email: [70768@nchu.edu.cn](70768@nchu.edu.cn) 2 University of Houston-Downtown, USA. [2](2Email: xiej@uhd.edu)[Email:](2Email: xiej@uhd.edu)[ ](2Email: xiej@uhd.edu)[xiej@uhd.edu](2Email: xiej@uhd.edu) 3,4,5,6,7Mississippi State University, USA. [3](3Email: kgallo@colled.msstate.edu)[Email:](3Email: kgallo@colled.msstate.edu)[ ](3Email: kgallo@colled.msstate.edu)[kgallo@colled.msstate.edu](3Email: kgallo@colled.msstate.edu) 4Email: [ifm14@msstate.edu](ifm14@msstate.edu) 5Email: [kle226@msstate.edu](kle226@msstate.edu) 6Email: [sms1341@msstate.edu](sms1341@msstate.edu) [7](7Email: jah1493@msstate.edu)[Email:](7Email: jah1493@msstate.edu)[ j](7Email: jah1493@msstate.edu)[ah1493@msstate.edu](7Email: jah1493@msstate.edu) ABSTRACT (+ Corresponding author) Article History Received: 19 July 2024 Revised: 30 August 2024 Accepted: 17 September 2024 Published: 1 October 2024 Keywords Achievement goal theory Stability Change College students Emergency distance education Protective factors. Motivation is the process by which goal-directed behavior is initiated, energized, and sustained. The type of achievement goals endorsed by students is one of the most significant constructs in motivational research in educational contexts. It is often assumed that achievement goal endorsement is stable over time. However, that may have changed given the outbreak of COVID-19. Data were collected from a sample of undergraduate students in China (n = 300) representing various majors and academic classifications. A 2 x 2 achievement goal framework comprising mastery-approach, mastery-avoidance, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance goals was then compared before and during emergency distance education. Our study results revealed that only scores on performance-approach goals decreased significantly across the two learning conditions (t = 11.66, p < .001), suggesting students were less likely to focus on demonstrating competence relative to others during emergency distance education. However, individual differences were detected between high-achievers and low-achieversin terms of performance-approach goal endorsement during emergency distance education. More importantly, scores on mastery-approach goals did not significantly decrease (t = 1.75, p = .08), suggesting students’ intrinsic motivation remained constant during emergency distance education. While technology support did not positively predict mastery-approach goal endorsement during emergency distance education, student-perceived teacher support and physical learning environment were two significant predictors, implying the power of human connection in online learning during COVID-19. Contribution/ Originality: Past research provides reasons to anticipate change in achievement goal endorsement over time. While researchers have been investigating the effect of emergency distance education on students’motivation change, little research has focused on a more nuanced motivation change in students through the lens of achievement goal theory. 1. INTRODUCTION The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected student learning, psychological well-being, and academic motivation. Many students struggled to stay motivated to learn as a result of the abrupt shift in the instructional delivery method and feelings of uncertainty about the future (e.g., Cobb et al. (2023)). As a predictor of learning and achievement, motivation stands at the center of the educational enterprise. It is a

FAQs

What achievement goals are compared in the study?

The study uses a 2×2 framework comprising mastery-approach, mastery-avoidance, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance goals.

How did achievement goal endorsement change during emergency distance education?

Performance-approach goal scores decreased significantly across the two learning conditions, while mastery-approach goals did not show a significant decrease.

Which factors helped explain motivation during online learning?

Student-perceived teacher support and the physical learning environment significantly predicted motivation-related outcomes during emergency distance education.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Mabel