Assessment, Learning & Teaching Reflections |
Monday 9 January
Achievement motivation provides a theoretical framework for understanding how individuals behave in achievement scenarios, like universities. Existing evidence is based on studies conducted in sport and in education settings. Theory characterises learner behaviour in adversity using the dual contributions of task-involvement (leading to complex, creative and accurate involvement, problem-solving and persistence) and ego-involvement (producing superficial involvement and disordered predictions). Task-involvement especially supports working through adversity, unlike ego-involvement. Ego-involved individuals, facing even the idea of ‘failure’, will more readily cut corners, demonstrate low effort, and more willingly cheat and blame others. They can also experience profoundly disturbed mental health and can withdraw from everyday activities. They can appear clinically depressed.
As well as being an important theoretical notion, Achievement Motivation sheds light on practical issues, including how to most effectively lead groups and provide task-involving learning environments. In this context a ‘group’ may be any cluster of individuals joined for a common purpose. Crucially, contemporary understanding holds that patterns of leader behaviour create the motivational climate (either task or ego dominated) that is then mimicked by participants. If this is the case, observing the recurrent behaviour of our students provides important feedback about the motivational climate we are creating around them.
Suzanne McGregor
Senior Lecturer
