Date Approved

5-9-2006

Embargo Period

4-5-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. in School Psychology

Department

Educational Services and Leadership

College

College of Education

Advisor

Dihoff, Roberta

Committee Member 1

Klanderman, John

Subject(s)

College students--Attitudes; Counseling in higher education

Disciplines

Educational Psychology

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine how achievement goals affect students' academic success and help seeking behavior. The three goal orientations measured in this present study are mastery, performance-approach, and work avoidance. A questionnaire is used to assess the students' goal orientation. The researcher also asked the students to self report their current cumulative GPA and the number of times a semester they visit their professors for help. One way ANOVAs were used to determine which achievement goal had the highest GPA and which had the most help seeking behavior. A correlation was also done to determine if GPA and help seeking behavior correlate. The total number of participants is n=65. The researcher found that students with performance-approach goals had significantly higher GPAs than mastery goals and work avoidance goals. The results also showed that mastery goals had significantly higher help-seeking behavior than work avoidance goals, but not performance-approach goals. No correlation was found between GPA and help seeking behavior. The implications of this study are vast for the education field. Professors should be aware that students who seek help do not in turn get better grades. Reasons for this should be looked at in further research.

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