Short Research Assignment#1
Zimmerman, B. J., Bandura, A., & Martinez-Pons, M. (1992). Self-motivation for academic attainment: The role of self-efficacy beliefs and personal goal setting. American educational research journal, 29(3), 663-676.
This study aimed to find how do students’ self-efficacy and the students’ and parents’ goal setting influence their academic attainment. First of all, it reviewed some studies in this domain. Then, it elaborated an investigation in two high schools. After that, it showed us the results through the text and data sheets. Finally, it had a discussion based on the results and came to a conclusion.
The Investigators did an investigation that is very important to support their study. One hundred and twenty students from two high schools in grade nine and ten participate in this investigation (p.666). To investigate student perceived self-efficacy, they selected two subscales: self-efficacy for self-regulated learning and self-efficacy for academic achievement. They respectively had eleven and nine items which are used to measure students' perceived capability to use a variety of self-regulated learning strategies and students' perceived capability to achieve in nine domains. For each item, students rated their perceived self-efficacy according to a 7-point scale. The descriptions were not well at all for a rating of 1, not too well for 3, pretty well for 5, and very well for 7 (p.667). To investigate the grade goals, they used the rating scales that students and their parents should rate their goal expectation and the lowest academic grade they would find satisfying in terms of 5 grade levels. Five response options were 1 = F (0-59%), 2 = D (60-69%), 3 = C (70-79%), 4 = B (80-89%), and 5 = A (90-100%) (p. 667). The self-efficacy and goal-setting scales were included in a questionnaire. Then the students finished it on their social studies class. They also needed to bring their parents’ questionnaire home and take it...