Structural Relationships among Middle School Students’ Perceived Classroom Goal Structure, Growth Mindset, Achievement Goals, and Self-Regulated Learning

This study aimed to explore the structural relationships among middle school students’ perceived classroom goal structure, growth mindset, achievement goals, and self-regulated learning. To do so, 373 students at S Middle School in D City participated; 348 of them were used for preliminary analyses, structural equation model analyses, and bootstrapping. The results showed that mastery goal structure had a positive effect on self-regulated learning through the mediation of the mastery approach goal and of the performance approach goal, respectively. Also, the mastery goal structure had a significant effect on self-regulated learning by sequentially mediating growth mindset and mastery approach goals. On the other hand, the performance goal construct had direct effects on only performance approach goals and performance avoidance goals. A growth mindset predicted mastery approach goals and performance approach goals. These results suggest the importance of understanding the structural relationship between environmental factors, such as classroom goal structures, and intrinsic factors in order to promote adaptive academic behaviors. This study also identified a consistent mastery goal structure in classrooms for enhancing a growth mindset and mastery approach goals, along with the necessity for teacher capabilities, home―school partnerships, and policy support.