Network analysis investigating the differentiation of achievement goal orientations in junior high school

Achievement goal orientation theory has become popular, as it interprets students’ academic attitudes and behavior. The present research aims to investigate the variation in teachers’ perceived goals in relation to achievement goals in different grades, as well as the emergence of the multiple goal theory. Participants were junior high school students who responded to a self-report questionnaire. The instrument used was the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scales (PALS). The results revealed that mastery and performance goals behave as a network of interacting variables that essentially represent their coexistence, as well as their individual variations and specificities in relation to other variables. However, a significant distinction between mastery goals and perceived mastery goals with performance goals and perceived performance goals became apparent for each individual grade. The present research contributes to the theoretical development of the field, while in practice it highlights the combination of goals in school reality.