Title: Influence of Performance-Approach Goals on Learning Readiness among First Year Undergraduate Students in Public Universities in the Lake Region of Kenya
Abstract: The study investigated how performance-approach goals predicts learning readiness among first year undergraduate students in public universities in the Lake Region of Kenya. The objectives of the study were to; find out the relationship between performance-approach goals and learning readiness among first year university students, to find out the extent performance-approach goals influences learning readiness among first year university students. The study was guided by the Goal Orientation Theory and Maslow’s Theory of Motivation. The study employed a mixed method approach adopting the embedded mixed methods design. The target population was 12,000 first year students, 122 lecturers, 6 deans of students, and 6 university counsellors from six public universities in the lake region of Kenya. Cluster sampling, stratified sampling, and simple random sampling techniques were used to get respondents for the study. The sample size consisted of 3 public universities, 372 first year university students, 20 lecturers, 3 deans of students, and 3 university student counsellors. Questionnaires, interviews, and document analyses were employed to elicit data from the respondents. Achievement goal questionnaire-revised and an academic readiness questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data while qualitative data was obtained from interview schedules. Validity of the instruments was measured through expert judgement while reliability of the instruments was established by cronbach’s alpha method which found out a correlation coefficient of .809. Quantitative data was analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistical techniques such as Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient, linear regression analysis and multiple regression analyses. Thematic analyses were used to analyze qualitative data. There was statistically significant positive, moderate, correlation (r=.665, n=324, p<.05) between performance-approach goal orientation and learning readiness. It can therefore be concluded that performance-approach goal is a significant predictor of learning readiness among first year university students. Secondary schools should prepare form four students on what they expect at the university to aid in planning the transition from high school to university. Lecturers should instill an element of hardwork to learners, understanding an academic task should be emphasized so that they should not be bothered about what their classmates will think of their performance. Such a relationship can also aid to boost learning readiness of the students.
Publication Year: 2019
Publication Date: 2019-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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