Jessica Summers

Effects of Collaborative Learning in Math on Sixth Graders’ Individual Goal Orientations from a Socioconstructivist Perspective

Using socioconstructivism as a theoretical framework, this study investigated the ways in which classrooms that used peer learning groups influenced students’ goals. Specifically, my goal was to examine collaborative learning as a process that may influence individuals’ social and achievement goals. After confirming that 2 sixth‐grade math teachers had fundamental beliefs supporting socioconstructivist practices, I administered surveys designed to measure achievement and social goals in their math classes to approximately 200 of their students at 2 times during the school year. I used hierarchical linear modeling techniques, with mastery, performance‐approach, and performance‐avoidance goals as dependent variables at Time 2 and a selection of social goals and achievement goals as independent variables at Time 1. At the collaborative learning level, shared achievement goals were measured by asking students questions about the importance of group work, calculated as a mean score for students in their respective peer learning groups. For the more experienced math teacher, results indicated that students in groups that collectively valued the academic goals of group work were likely to adopt individual motivational strategies associated with performance‐avoidance goals over time. I discuss explanations for this dynamic and suggestions for future research examining individual goals in the context of socioconstructivist teaching practices.

Introduction: The Interpersonal Contexts of Teaching, Learning, and Motivation

Ohio State University In recent years, there has been increasing interest in exploring social-contextual factors both within and outside of the classroom. Within a sociocultural framework, “context” has traditionally been defined as the cultural and historical situation one finds oneself in as one engages in a learning process (Wertsch, 1991). This is to include immediate social groups such as dyads, small groups, and broader cultural settings. In this vein, many studies in educational psychology have attempted to define and explore the role of social context as adultchild relationships, peer relationships, cooperative group dynamics, and classroom climate. However, there have been few attempts to integrate findings across multiple “contexts” in order to examine teaching, learning, and developmental outcomes in a complex and dynamic manner. One notable exception is Anderman and Anderman’s (2000; see also Juvonen & Wentzel, 1996) special issue of Educational Psychologist. Since then, educational psychologists have focused more on the awareness of social dynamics in the classroom by increasing research on the role of social contexts in education. Although the issue (Anderman & Anderman, 2000) helped us understand researchers’ need to examine theory in social contexts, our issue goes one step further by presenting new frameworks and empirical studies currently exploring the social contexts of classrooms and schools. For example, researchers across the Educational Psychologist special issue called for explorations of learning and motivation to be more inclusive of the multiple perspectives operating in the classroom and the differing levels of context. Our authors an-