Does perceived competence serve as a protective mechanism against performance goals for struggling readers? Path analysis of contextual antecedents and reading outcomes

• Published in: Learning and individual differences 2018-07, Vol.65, p.135-147
• Main Authors: Cho, Eunsoo, Lee, Minhye, Toste, Jessica R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Achievement goals; Classroom goal structures; Motivation; Perceived competence; Reading; Reading difficulties
• ISSN: 1041-6080; 1873-3425
• DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2018.05.017

This study examined the extent to which struggling readers' perceived classroom goal structures explain their adoption of personal achievement goals and ratings of perceived competence. We also investigated how these motivational characteristics relate to outcomes in word reading and reading comprehension in a sample of fourth and fifth grade struggling readers (N = 112). In a series of path analyses, different motivational patterns emerged in predicting word reading and reading comprehension. Mastery goals negatively predicted while perceived competence positively predicted word reading. For reading comprehension, only perceived competence was a significant motivational predictor. However, for both reading outcomes, perceived competence had a positive moderating role against the potential negative effect of performance-avoidance goals on reading. Our findings also highlight the importance of focusing on mastery goals within the classroom in order to promote students' perceptions of competence in reading comprehension. •Achievement goals predict word reading and reading comprehension outcomes differently.•Mastery goal negatively predicts word reading in struggling readers.•Perceived competence positively predicts both word reading and reading comprehension outcomes.•Perceived competence moderates the negative effects of performance-avoidance goal on reading achievements for struggling readers.•Classroom mastery goal structure promotes struggling readers’ mastery goal and perceived competence in reading comprehension.