How Does Achievement Need Affect College Students' Learning Interest And Academic Performance? The Mediating Role Of Achievement Goals

Achievement motivation has always been a hot research topic in the field of developmental and educational psychology.The influence of achievement need and achievement goals on student academic achievement and development is very important.However,most of the researches in this field has been conducted in the Western society and based on the trichotomous achievement goal model and little research has been done in the Chinese context.Based on the hierarchical model of achievement motivation,this study surveyed the relationship of university students' learning interest and academic performance to their achievement need and achievement goals under the 2 × 2 achievement goal model.This research focused on(1)The impact of achievement need and achievement goals on university students' learning interest and academic performance.(2)The mediating effect of achievement goals in the relation between achievement need and learning interest and academic performance.The research found that:(1)The need for achievement significantly positively predicted learning interest and academic performance;fear of failure has no significantly direct predictive effect on learning interest and academic performance.(2)Learning interest and academic performance were positively predicted by mastery-approach and performance-approach goals;learning interest was negatively predicted by performance-avoidance goals;academic performance was negatively but not significantly predicted by mastery-avoidance goals and performance-avoidance goals.(3)Achievement goals played a partial mediating role in the relationship between the need for achievement and learning interest,that is,the need for achievement positively predicted mastery-approach and performance-approach goals,which,in turn,enhanced learning interest;the need for achievement positively predicted performance-avoidance goals,which,in turn,weakened learning interest.Achievement goals play a fully mediating role in the relationship between fear of failure and learning interest,with fear of failure positively predicted performance-avoidance goals,which,in turn,weakened learning interest.(4)Achievement goals played a fully mediating role in the relationship between the need for achievement and academic performance.Need for achievement positively predicted performance-approach goals,which,in turn,enhanced academic performance.Mastery-avoidance goals showed null mediation in the relation between achievement need and learning outcomes.Finally,this dissertation analyzed the above research results,summarized the contribution and limitation of the research,and pointed out the future research direction.On this basis,it gives relevant suggestions for educators to cultivate students' adaptive motivation and goals.