Abstract
This study examined the effects of setting concrete goals that focused on understanding during introduction to science lessons for second year middle school students. The goal was “to be able to account for the experimental results”. The 99 student participants (the number of analysis object students was 66) were assigned to one of three groups: an experimental goal group (accounting for the experimental results), a daily goal group (accounting for the experimental result using daily life contexts), and a control group (not given a concrete goal). All groups were given the same explanation of the results of a science experiment. The findings revealed that providing a concrete goal enhanced students’ motivation and the amount of notes taken of important information, regardless of whether daily life contexts were used. The result of a path analysis showed that the effect of the concrete goals on amount of notes accounted for an indirect effect mediating motivation, as well as for a direct effect. The latter suggests that concrete goals facilitate students’ attention to important information. These findings suggest that setting concrete goals supports both cognitive and motivational aspects of learning.
