Achievement goal orientations in college students: longitudinal trajectories, related factors, and effects on academic performance

Achievement goal orientations have a significant impact on students' self-regulation and development. An individual's achievement goal orientations may change at some critical stages. The sample of this study came from a survey of college students conducted in China for four consecutive years. The study used a growth mixture model to identify the longitudinal trajectories of achievement goal orientations during the college years, constructed a logistic regression model to analyze the related factors of students in different classes, and further examined the effects on academic performance. The results indicate that the longitudinal trajectories of all the 2 x 2 achievement goal orientations can be divided into decreasing class and increasing class. Taking the increasing class as the reference, extroversion, high BMI, high sleep duration, and major are related factors of students in the decreasing class of performance-approach goals. Extroversion and father's education level are associated with students in the decreasing class of mastery-avoidance goals. Extroversion, high sleep duration, father's education level, family economic status, and family social status correlate with students in the decreasing class of mastery-approach goals. In addition, there are significant differences in the academic performance of students in different trajectory classes.