A Latent Profile Analysis Of The Adaptability And Stability Of Achievement Goals For Middle School Migrant And Urban Children

In this study,798 migrant and urban children in Grade 7 from 4 middle schools in Nanjing and 2 middle schools in Shanghai were surveyed in a twowave longitudinal study with 6-month interval.The purpose was to explore the profiles and the transformation patterns of achievement goals.Meanwhile,the study also aimed to examine the adaptability of these potential profiles to students' academic development and emotional health.Using latent profile analysis(LPA),this study first explored the achievement goal profiles among migrant and urban children at the two time points,respectively.Then,using latent transition analysis(LTA)method,this study tested the stability of the achievement goal profiles in the transition period from Grade 7 to grade 8.Second,centered on the adaptability of achievement goal profiles,this study further examined the characteristics of students' academic achievement,intrinsic motivation,and emotional symptoms in relation to each of the profile types.The results showed that: 1)at grade 7(T1),both migrant and urban children had four achievement goal profiles,including high multiple goals,medium multiple goals,low multiple goals,and success-oriented multiple goals.2)After entering grade 8(T2),migrant children and urban children still had high,medium and low multiple goal profiles,but the success-oriented goal profile disappears,and the high multiple goal profile appears among migrant children.3)From Grade 7 to grade 8,the stability of urban children's achievement goal profiles were higher than that of migrant children,however,more than half of the migrant children deceased in the scores of masteryapproach goals,performance-approach goals and performance-avoidance goals.In addition,the two student groups had different achievement goal transformation patterns.4)In terms of the adaptability of achievement goal profiles,no matter at T1 or T2,the high multiple goal profile showed adaptability in academic performance and intrinsic motivation in both migrant and urban children groups.High multiple goal latent profile also showed adaptability in emotional health,that is,less emotional symptoms,among migrant children and urban children in Grade 7.At T1,the latent profile of success-oriented goals among urban and migrant children showed adaptability in intrinsic motivation.At T2,migrant children's second highest multiple goal profile showed adaptability in emotional health.The low multiple goal profile had the lowest academic performance and intrinsic motivation,but more emotional symptoms at T1 and T2 among both migrant and urban children,indicating its maladaptation.