2 × 2 Achievement goals and achievement emotions: a cluster analysis of students' motivation

This study sought to better understand the adoption of multiple achievement goals at an intra-individual level, and its links to emotional well-being, learning, and academic achievement. Participants were 480 Secondary Two students (aged between 13 and 14 years) from two coeducational government schools. Hierarchical cluster analysis revealed the presence of five clusters of students with significantly different achievement goal profiles. MANOVAs and ANOVA, followed by post-hoc tests showed that these clusters also differed significantly in terms of their experience of achievement emotions, use of learning strategies, and mathematics performance. The cluster with high endorsement of mastery approach goal and low endorsement of mastery avoidance goal was noted to have the most adaptive profile. The presence of a cluster of lowly motivated students was highlighted. Findings emphasised the importance of investigating achievement emotions, and how the different achievement goals combine to influence achievement-related variables.