10.30495/jntell.2023.1977063.1041

The Relationship between English Language Learners’ Achievement Goals and Academic Performance: A look at Learners’ GoalMotives

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  • Mohsen Ali Pasban1,
  • Mehry Haddad Narafshan*1,
  • hassan shahabi1,
  1. Department of Foreign Languages, Kerman Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kerman, Iran

Revised: 2023-01-07

Accepted: 2023-02-07

Published in Issue 2023-01-01

Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of New Trends in English Language Learning (JNTELL)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Pasban, M. A., Haddad Narafshan, M., & shahabi, hassan. (2023). The Relationship between English Language Learners’ Achievement Goals and Academic Performance: A look at Learners’ GoalMotives. Journal of New Trends in English Language Learning (JNTELL), 2(1), 29-42. https://doi.org/10.30495/jntell.2023.1977063.1041
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Abstract

The present mixed-methods study investigated the relationship between learners’ achievement goals and academic performance.
It also explored the goal motives of English language learners. The research, a cross-sectional survey, studied 372 BA University
English language learners majoring in English language teaching, translation studies, and English literature at Islamic Azad
University, Kerman and Zahedan branches. To collect the data, the learners’ Achievement Goal Questionnaire (Elliot et al., 2011)
was submitted to English language learners either in person or via email. Their academic achievement was calculated based on
the university report including both theoretical and practical courses. In addition, a semi-structured interview was used to explore
the learners’ reflections concerning the orientations of their achievement goals. Correlations showed that achievement goals
correlated positively with academic performance among English language learners. And among learners’ achievement goals,
task-avoidance goals, other-approach goals, and other-avoidance goals could predict learners’ academic performance
meaningfully. Besides, the qualitative findings revealed that English language learners’ goals are motivated by prior experience,
personality, academic achievements, and interests. In brief, the study of the academic goals of students can facilitate the
identification of their goal orientations and therefore can become a support tool for teachers when selecting materials and adapting
the contents of the curricular program accordingly. 

Keywords

  • Academic performance,
  • Achievement goals,
  • Goal motives
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