Predictive Analysis Among Thinking Styles, Goal Orientations and Academic Achievement of Student Teachers

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive power of the student teachers' thinking styles on their goal orientations and the predictive power of both thinking styles and goal orientations on their academic achievement. The participants were 270 undergraduate students studying in different departments of the Faculty of Education at Pamukkale University. Thinking Styles, Goal Orientations Inventories and Demographic Information Sheet were used to gather the data. The results of the correlational analysis show significant relationships among thinking styles, goal orientations and academic achievement. Regression analysis indicates that thinking styles predict goal orientations and goal orientations together with thinking styles predict academic achievement. In that sense, hierarchical and liberal Type I thinking styles are the primary predictors of mastery, judicial Type I thinking style is the primary predictor of performance, conservative Type II thinking style is the primary predictor of avoidance goal orientations and mastery and avoidance goal orientations are the primary predictors of academic achievement. In the study, implications of the findings are discussed and suggestions are given.