抄録
This study explored the relationships among a self-schema, achievement goals, learning approaches and performance in learning high school mathematics. Based on the responses of a group of Australian students to a survey questionnaire, two alternative sets of linear models depicting the relationships among these variables were compared. The findings supported a direct-mediational model of learning engagement, in which a self-schema was taken as the most important independent variable predicting why and how Australian students learnt mathematics albeit that different performance indicators were used during the modelling process. The relationships among a self-schema, achievement goals, learning approaches and performance were discussed. In addition, it was found that a self-schema in mathematics learning opened up three qualitatively different paths of learning, a mastery-focused path, an adaptive performance-focused path and a maladaptive performance-focused path. Overall, the current findings were consistent with a previous study involving a group of Chinese students. They also clarified some major problems in the previous study.
