Do Classroom Goal Structures Moderate Effects of the Academic Contingency of Self-Worth? Influence on Intrinsic Interest and Self-Regulated Learning Strategies

Abstract

  The term “academic contingency of self-worth” refers to the degree to which one’s sense of self-worth is based on academic achievement.  Past studies that examined relations between academic contingency of self-worth and academic outcomes have had inconsistent results.  The present study used hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to examine how classroom goal structures (mastery and performance) might moderate the relation between academic contingency of self-worth and academic outcomes.  The participants were 1,212 elementary and middle school students in the 5^th to 8^th grades from 43 math classrooms.  The results suggested that both academic contingency of self-worth and mastery goal structure were positive predictors of self-regulated learning strategies and intrinsic interest.  In addition, academic contingency of self-worth and mastery goal structure jointly influenced self-regulated learning strategies.  Specifically, academic contingency of self-worth was more strongly related to self-regulated learning strategies in classrooms that had a low mastery goal structure.