Factor Analysis Study of the Achievement Goal Framework in the Domain-Specific Task of EFL Writing
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Abstract
This study attempted to discern the factor structure of the achievement goal orientation and goal structure constructs across the domain-specific task of essay writing in an Iranian EFL context. A convenience sample of 116 public university learners participated in a single-session, in-class study of an essay writing sampling and an immediate post-task inventory completion. Cronbach’s alpha reliability estimates for all the goal subscales ranged from .86 to .92, and the factor analysis results divulged that 33 items from the goal orientation and goal structure scale produced valid and reliable scores, with the seven-factor solution found to be well-fitted for the observed data. Principal component analysis revealed a two-factor model separating the goal subcomponent variables into a binary orientation and dichotomy of mastery and performance. Findings provided cultural and contextual support for the stability and applicability of the four-factor (2x2) achievement goal model; namely, mastery-approach, masteryavoidance, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance in specific domain of writing. The findings provided evidence that the three-factor goal structure is also invariant in the Iranian EFL context. All told, the findings imply the need for bridging the research gap on the interplay of person- and structure-related goals.
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