ACHIEVEMENT-MOTIVATION GOALS IN RELATION TO ACADEMIC-PERFORMANCE IN TRADITIONAL AND NONTRADITIONAL COLLEGE-STUDENTS

This study extended Dweck's model of achievement motivation to the col legiate level, and it is the first to apply this model to nontradition al students. We examined the relationship between goal orientations an d academic performance in 262 undergraduate students grouped by nontra ditional vs. traditional status. Although both groups rated themselves higher on teaming goals than on performance goals, nontraditional stu dents endorsed learning goals even more strongly than their traditiona l peers. Goal orientations were a better predictor of academic success than student status. Consistent with Dweck's model, a learning goal o rientation was positively related to successful academic performance f or both groups. The relationship between performance goals and academi c success was less straightforward, but students who rated both goal o rientations as relatively weak had the lowest cumulative GPAs. Traditi onal and nontraditional students differed on variables that were inver sely related to academic performance. Less successful traditional stud ents endorsed irrational beliefs (a possible index of learned helpless ness), while less successful nontraditional students worked more hours at a paid job.