School and career future time perspective and academic-related outcomes in early adolescence: are mastery goals mediators?

Abstract

This study evaluated the relations between adolescents’ school and career future time perspective and their academic-related outcomes (i.e. grades, learning problems, and task orientation) and whether mastery goals are mediators of these relations. Romanian adolescents (N = 229, 59% girls) completed questionnaires assessing future orientation, mastery goals, and learning problems. Teachers rated the students’ task orientation levels. Students’ grades were collected from school registers. Early adolescents who reported higher future orientation towards school and career also had better academic outcomes. Furthermore, early adolescents who reported higher mastery approach goals reported fewer learning problems, whereas those who reported higher mastery avoidance goals had lower grades and higher learning problems. Mastery approach goals mediated the relation between future time perspective and academic-related outcomes. Our findings extend the knowledge about the relations between future time perspective, mastery goals, and academic-related outcomes in early adolescence.