title: Trichotomous goals of elementary school students learning English as a foreign language: a structural equation model.
abstract: This study applied structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques to define the relations among trichotomous goals (mastery goals, performance-approach goals, and performance-avoidance goals), self-efficacy, use of metacognitive self-regulation strategies, positive belief in seeking help, and help-avoidance behavior. Elementary school students (N = 105), who were learning English as a foreign language, were surveyed using five self-report scales. The structural equation model showed that self-efficacy led to the adoption of mastery goals but discouraged the adoption of performance-approach goals and performance-avoidance goals. Furthermore, mastery goals increased the use of metacognitive self-regulation strategies, whereas performance-approach goals and performance-avoidance goals reduced their use. Mastery goals encouraged positive belief in help-seeking, but performance-avoidance goals decreased such belief. Finally, performance-avoidance goals directly led to help-avoidance behavior, whereas positive belief assumed a critical role in reducing help-avoidance. The established structural equation model illuminated the potential causal relations among these variables for the young learners in this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Children English Education, National Taipei University of Education, Taiwan. the@tea.ntue.edu.tw
authors.forename: Tung-Hsien
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Shan-Mao
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Shu-Hui Eileen
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wen Johnny
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Gou
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D002648:Child; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D033182:Intention; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D019303:Multilingualism; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D013624:Taiwan