RELATION OF PERCEIVED INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS AND INCENTIVES TO COLLEGE-STUDENTS USE OF LEARNING-STRATEGIES

Class emphasis on learning goals and incentive structures and their re lationship to students' use of learning strategies were examined, Stud ents in 54 college classes (N = 1,037) rated the perceived importance of mastery and performance goals, and of competitive, individualistic, and cooperative incentive structures. In general, the classes stresse d learning course content, individual performance outcomes, and collab oration more than interstudent ability comparisons, The students in cl asses with greater emphasis on collaboration and less emphasis on grad es were more likely to use higher order learning strategies of elabora tion and critical thinking, The findings suggest that goals and incent ives affect strategy use, although the relationships could have result ed from the instructors' relative emphasis on goals and incentives and their facilitation of the students' use of learning strategies.