Pre-service teachers’ achievement goals and achievement motivation at the beginning of their studies—a profile analysis

Abstract

Pre-service teachers’ achievement goals and achievement motivation have not yet been as intensely examined as those of school students. However, such goals and motivation can play an important role concerning pre-service teachers’ professional development and goal aspirations during initial teacher education. Based on the achievement goals and achievement motivations of 1365 pre-service lower and upper secondary teachers in their first semester at universities, latent profiles are identified and validated with additional motivational characteristics and students’ general pedagogical knowledge. Furthermore, the profiles are analyzed concerning their distribution of different subject domains. Results suggest a three-class solution, whereby the classes do not show differences concerning the subject domains. 50% of the students show strong mastery goals as well as performance goals. The second most common profile comprises students who mainly show mastery goals. The smallest profile group comprises students with strong work avoidance goal orientations.