Ready to learn: goal orientation and academic performance in a service-learning course for health professions students

Introduction Goal orientation and academic self-efficacy are central constructs in educational psychology; however, their roles in applied, interpersonal learning environments remain underexplored. This study examined relationships among mastery, performance, and avoidant goal orientations, academic self-efficacy, and academic performance in a service-learning course for health professions students. The mediating role of academic self-efficacy was also evaluated. Methods Seventy-four undergraduate and graduate public health students enrolled in a semester-long wellness coaching service-learning course completed baseline measures of goal orientation and academic self-efficacy. Academic performance was assessed using final course grades. Pearson correlations and mediation analyses were conducted while controlling for age and gender. Indirect effects were estimated using bootstrapped confidence intervals with 5,000 resamples. Results Performance and avoidant goal orientations were positively associated with academic performance, whereas mastery goal orientation was not significantly associated with academic outcomes. Mastery and performance goal orientations were positively associated with academic self-efficacy; however, academic self-efficacy was not significantly associated with academic performance and did not mediate the relationship between goal orientation and academic performance. Discussion These findings differ from patterns commonly observed in traditional academic settings, where mastery orientation and academic self-efficacy are typically stronger predictors of achievement. Results suggest that the influence of motivational orientations may depend on learning context, particularly in environments emphasizing interpersonal performance and applied skill use. These findings highlight the importance of considering contextual factors when applying motivational theory to experiential learning settings.