Goal Orientation Profiles and Self-Concept of Secondary School Students

The objective of this study is to identify possible combinations of multiple goals that lead to different goal orientation profiles and to determine whether there are significant group differences in self-concept dimensions. The Achievement Goals Tendencies Questionnaire (AGTQ) and the Self-Description Questionnaire-II (SDQ-II) were administered to a sample of 2,022 students of Compulsory Secondary education, ranging in age from 12 to 16 years (M = 13.81, SD = 1.35). Cluster analysis identified four profiles of motivational goals: a group of students with a generalized high motivation profile, a group of students with generalized low motivation profile, a group of students with a predominance of learning goals and achievement goals, and a last group of students with a predominance of achievement goals and social reinforcement goals. Results reveal statistically significant differences among the profiles obtained regarding self-concept dimensions.

El objetivo de este estudio es identificar si existen combinaciones de múltiples metas que dan lugar a diferentes perfiles de orientaciones de metas motivacionales, así como comprobar si existen diferencias significativas entre los grupos obtenidos respecto a las dimensiones del autoconcepto. El Achievement Goal Tendencies Questionnaire (AGTQ) y el Self-Description Questionnaire-II (SDQ-II) fueron administrados a una muestra de 2.022 estudiantes de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria de 12 a 16 años (M = 13.81; DT = 1.35). El análisis de conglomerados ha identificado cuatro perfiles de metas motivacionales: un grupo de alumnos/as con un perfil de múltiples metas altas, un grupo de estudiantes con un perfil de múltiples metas bajas, un grupo de alumnos/as con un predominio de metas de aprendizaje y metas de logro y un último grupo de estudiantes con predominio de metas logro y metas de refuerzo social. Los resultados revelan diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre los perfiles obtenidos con respecto a las dimensiones del autoconcepto.

This work was carried out through the Research Project SEJ 2004-07311/EDUC of the Plan Nacional de Investigación Científica, Desarrollo e Innovación Tecnológica del M.E.C. [National Plan of Scientific Research, Development and Technological Innovation of the Ministry of Education and Culture] awarded to the first author.