Differences between Elementary and Middle School Teachers and Students: A Goal Theory Approach

The early adolescent years are characterized by a negative shift in motivational orientation for a number of children. It has been suggested that this change is related to differences between the learning environments in elementary and middle level schools. In particular, some goal theorists have suggested that middle level schools stress performance goals more and task goals less than do elementary schools. In this study, comparisons based on survey data indicated that middle school teachers and students perceive the school culture as more performance-focused and less task-focused than do elementary teachers and students. In addition, elementary school teachers use instructional practices that emphasize task goals, and endorse task-focused achievement goals for their students, more than do middle school teachers. A perceived stress, in the school, on task goals predicted self-efficacy both for teachers and students, whereas a perceived stress on performance goals was unrelated to self-efficacy.