BEYOND A 2-GOAL THEORY OF MOTIVATION AND ACHIEVEMENT - A CASE FOR SOCIAL GOALS

Research on academic achievement motivation has increasingly focused o n students' goals. Most of that that research has focused on Two parti cular types of achievement goals: task goals and ability goals. In thi s review, we propose that a more thorough understanding of motivation and achievement in schools can be developed if we examine social goals -defined as perceived social purposes for academic achievement-in addi tion to task and ability goals. We review research on achievement goal theory, social goals, social motives, and social influences on studen ts' school-related attitudes and behaviors to develop hypotheses about the antecedents and consequences of social goals. In addition, we dis cuss ways in which the learning environment may influence students' so cial goad orientations. We conclude with a discussion of seven areas f or future research on the nature and function of social goals.