Premium
Cultural invariance of goal orientation and self‐efficacy in N ew Z ealand: Relations with achievement
Author(s) -
Meissel Kane,
RubieDavies Christine M.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
british journal of educational psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.557
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 2044-8279
pISSN - 0007-0998
DOI - 10.1111/bjep.12103
Subject(s) - psychology , goal orientation , orientation (vector space) , measurement invariance , social psychology , developmental psychology , structural equation modeling , confirmatory factor analysis , statistics , mathematics , geometry
Background There is substantial evidence indicating that various psychological processes are affected by cultural context, but such research is comparatively nascent within N ew Z ealand. As there are four large cultural groups in N ew Z ealand, representing an intersection of individualist, collectivist, indigenous, colonial, and immigrant cultures, N ew Z ealand is an important context in which to investigate the role of culture in such processes. Aims This study investigated goal orientation and self‐efficacy beliefs among students of different cultural backgrounds in N ew Z ealand, associations between motivational beliefs and achievement, and whether any relations differed by cultural background. Sample Participants were 2,210 students attending three intermediate schools. Methods Participants responded to a questionnaire at the beginning of the school year to evaluate self‐efficacy for mathematics and mastery and performance goal orientation. Participants also completed a standardized mathematics achievement test at the beginning and end of the year. Results The factor structure was sufficiently invariant by cultural group, but with statistically significant differences in average level of endorsement. Self‐efficacy for mathematics predicted marginally higher end‐of‐year achievement after controlling for beginning‐of‐year achievement, with a stronger relationship for M āori and P asifika, but no statistically significant relationship with achievement among A sian students. Conclusions The questionnaire used was a valid instrument for the four main cultural groups in N ew Z ealand. Differences were found in motivation levels, and M āori and P asifika were more affected by their self‐reported self‐efficacy. Teachers may be able to raise students’ self‐beliefs by conveying high expectations for these students, potentially supporting higher academic outcomes.