EFFECT OF ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION AND SELF-EFFICACY ON GOAL DIRECTED BEHAVIOUR OF ADOLESCENTS
Loading...
Files
Date
2012
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ACHARYA N.G. RANGA AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY
Abstract
Adolescence is a time of growing, learning, adventuring, scoring and dreaming. It is
the period where individuals dig within themselves and try to find out their own abilities
based on their interests. An individuals’ perception activates the self-system providing
information regarding past experiences, thoughts, behaviour and environment. The self-
system then forms conceptualizations of the individual’s abilities. These perceptions
become the motivational drive that accompanies the action. These actions lays the
foundations for goal orientation which assist in providing a motivational framework for
how individuals’ perceive, interpret and judge reaction to key events in their lives.
Many theories and models explained the behaviour of adolescents with respect to
achievement motivation and self-efficacy. Self-efficacy theory by Bandura stated that self-
efficacy has major influence on individual’s achievement strivings. Thus self-efficacy
construct may influence adolescents goal directed behaviour with respect to performance
and choice. Further goal setting theory mentioned that individual’s had a drive to reach
their preset and defined goals and this is known as motivation. Motivation is important for
adolescents’ engagement in learning but they also know that a major purpose of education
is to prepare them for future. According to self-determination theory adolescents are
psychologically healthier and tend to be motivated when their behaviour is self-determined.
This self-determined behaviour of adolescents is quite critical to understand and is linked to
a broader array of psychological construct which acts as determinants of their behaviour.
Hence to promote the understanding of these constructs, it is very essential to study the
“effect of achievement motivation and self-efficacy on goal directed behaviour of
adolescents” with the following objectives- to study the achievement motivation, self-
efficacy and goal directed behaviour of adolescents; to study the gender differences among
adolescents with reference to achievement motivation, self-efficacy and goal directed
xvi
behaviour; to study the effect of achievement motivation, self-efficacy, self and family
variables on goal directed behaviour of adolescents and to study the determinants of goal
directed behaviour.
The sample of the study consisted of 200 adolescents in the age range of 18-20
years with stratified random sampling from professional and non-professional institutions
in Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The respondents were distributed into four groups and
these were professional girls (P.G), professional boys (P.B), non-professional girls (N.P.G)
and non-professional boys (N.P.B). The tools used in the study were as follows: General
information schedule (Questionnaire) was used to assess the general information i.e. self
and family variables, Modified scales of Achievement motivation, Self-efficacy and Goal
directed behaviour were used to assess the independent and dependent variables and Family
Environment Scale (FES) was used to assess the family variables affecting adolescents.
The results of the study revealed that educational status of fathers of professional
adolescents was higher than that of fathers of non-professional adolescents. Educational
status of mothers of professional adolescents was higher than that of mothers of non-
professional adolescents. Most of the fathers of professional and non-professional
adolescents were in small business category and mothers were housewives. Majority of the
mothers of professional as well as non-professional boys and girls were unemployed.
Fathers’ income of professional adolescents was more than that of fathers of non-
professional adolescents. Nearly three by fourth of the adolescents were from nuclear
families. Both mothers and fathers of professional and non-professional adolescents were
having nearly similar personality traits.
It was interesting to find that neither professional nor non-professional adolescents
had low achievement motivation, self-efficacy and goal directed behaviour levels. Most of
the professional and non-professional adolescents were having medium levels of self-
efficacy, achievement motivation and goal directed behaviour. Non-professionals
adolescents were found to be high at achievement motivation, self-efficacy and goal
directed behaviour levels than that of professional adolescents. Professional and non-
professional boys and girls were on par with each other regarding achievement motivation,
self-efficacy and goal directed behaviour.
Goal directed behaviour of professional and non-professional adolescents was
found to be related with their self-efficacy and achievement motivation levels. Age of
professional adolescents was found to be related with their goal directed behaviour while
that of non-professional adolescents was found to be not significant. Professional girls with
higher educational status reported higher goal directed behaviour. Professional adolescents
who reported high goal directed behaviour had fathers and mothers of high educational
status. Professional girls who reported high goal directed behaviour had parents of high
occupational status. Both professional and non-professional adolescents with more fathers’
income had better goal directed behaviour. Income of mothers was not at all related to the
goal directed behaviour of professional as well as non-professional adolescents. No
relationship was found between goal directed behaviour and duration of married life of
parents, cohesion and conflicts of both professional and non-professional adolescents. Non-
professional adolescents with better expressiveness and acceptance & caring had more goal
directed behaviour. Professional and non-professional adolescents who perceived
themselves to be having more of independence and active-recreational orientation had
better goal directed behaviour. Professional adolescents with higher organization had more
xvii
goal directed behaviour than that of non-professional adolescents. Non-professional
adolescents with higher control had higher goal directed behaviour while goal directed
behaviour of professional adolescents showed no relationship with control.
The strong determinants of goal directed behaviour for professional adolescents
were self-efficacy, achievement motivation, independence and organization. The predictors
of goal directed behaviour for non-professional adolescents were self-efficacy, achievement
motivation, expressiveness, acceptance & caring, control and active-recreational
orientation. Together as one group of both professional and non-professional adolescents,
the strong determinants of goal directed behaviour were self-efficacy, achievement
motivation, expressiveness, acceptance & caring, independence and organization.
From the present study it was concluded that non-professional adolescents reported
higher levels and professional adolescents reported medium levels of achievement
motivation, self-efficacy and goal directed behaviour. There was no difference between
boys and girls regarding achievement motivation, self-efficacy and goal directed behaviour.
The strong determinants of goal directed behaviour of professional and non-professional
adolescents were self-efficacy, achievement motivation, expressiveness, acceptance &
caring, independence and organization.
The study helps us to understand the importance of achievement motivation and
self-efficacy variables which influence the development of goal directed behaviour in
adolescents and this also helps in understanding the goal directed behaviour of adolescents
from professional and non- professional institutions. The findings of this study can be
useful to the educators, psychologists and professionals working for adolescents in
understanding achievement motivation, self-efficacy and goal directed behaviour of
adolescents. These findings can be used to improve the self-efficacy and achievement
motivation of adolescents in order to help them to improve their goal directed behaviour.
Description
Keywords
MOTIVATION, SELF-EFFICACY, GOAL, BEHAVIOUR, ADOLESCENTS