Achievement Goals and Academic Achievement: The Mediating Role of Learning Strategies

The study investigated the relationship among Achievement Goals, Learning Strategies, and Academic Achievement. Achievement Goals are reasons for engaging in achievement activities and Learning strategies through which learners acquire and learn new information and skills. Literature suggested that students’ Achievement Goals predict Learning Strategies but relationship between Achievement Goals and Academic Achievement was unclear (Atkinson, 1957). This study was carried out to explore the role of Learning Strategies as an explanatory mechanism between the relationship of Achievement Goals and Academic Achievement. A survey was conducted using Achievement Goals Questionnaire (AGQ), Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) and actual semester scores as an Academic Achievement. The sample consisted of 321 students of University. The results showed that Achievement Goals are positively related with Learning Strategies. There was a significant relationship found between Mastery Approach, and Performance Approach Goals, and Academic Achievement. The results also revealed that Resource Management Learning Strategies fully mediated the relationship of Achievement Goals and Academic Achievement but Cognitive/Metacognitive Learning Strategies did not mediate the relationship between Mastery Avoidanceand Performance Approach Goals, and Academic Achievement. The differences in demographic variables were also discussed and explained in the light of literature. Keyword. Achievement Goals, Learning Strategies, Academic Achievement 1.MSc Scholar,National Institute of Psychology, Center of Excellence, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad.