Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the explanatory and predictive relationship pattern between university students’ goal orientation behaviours and their academic achievement. The study group consisted of 259 university students. A ‘2x2 Achievement Goal Orientations Scale’ was used to determine the students’ goal orientation behaviours. The average grades that the students got during a term were taken as the academic achievement criteria. The data were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). The results suggested that learning approach, learning avoidance and performance approach are not significant predictors of academic achievement at the p<.05 level. The findings also indicated that the relationship between learning avoidance and performance approach; learning avoidance and learning approach; learning approach and performance avoidance; performance approach and performance avoidance; and learning avoidance and performance avoidance are significant at the p<.01 level. The results also displayed that the relationship between performance approach and learning approach is significant at the p<.05 level. On the other hand, the relationship between performance approach and learning approach along with the relationship between learning approach and performance avoidance was found to be negative unlike the other relationships between the variables.

Key words: Goal orientation theory, academic achievement.