Characteristics of Pupils' Achievement Goals

Fundamental to achievement goal theory is the notion that when pupils are confronted with achievement situations, their goal is to demonstrate competence. Competence or ability, however, may be construed differently among pupils. Pupils adopt a personal theory of achievement in which dispositional achievement goals play a predominant role, Embedded in an ego-oriented dispositional achievement goal is the goal of demonstrating ability in terms of norm-referenced criteria (such as doing better, than or outperforming others). In this case, pupils are in a state of ego involvement. By contrast, if the goal is to demonstrate ability in terms of self-referenced criteria (such as improvement or just completing the task with maximum effort), then pupils have a task oriented dispositional achievement goal in this case, pupils are in a state of task involvement.
According to achievement goal theory, dispositional achievement goals are independent. Thus, pupils may be high or low on both goals as well as high on one and low on the other (any combination of the two is possible). Achievement goals are also related to the different ways pupils view the possibility of developing their abilities. A task-oriented achievement goals is associated with an incremental view in which ability is seen as an acquirable skill. In contrast, an ego-oriented achievement goal is associated with a view of ability as a natural gift and less under one's personal control (an entity,. view). The reader should, consult the chapter by Sarrazin and Famose for further elaboration of this issue as well as the concept of achievement goals.