These findings have some important implications for teachers. Teachers can unknowingly communicate a range of attitudes about whether ability in school is fixed or changeable. It is important that we make every effort to help students see that their successes or failures are very much under their own control. And, new perceptions will change their willingness to put forth effort. Goal Theory is another area of motivation that is of particular interest to middle school educators.
Students have different reasons or purposes for achieving.
Students with a task goal orientation believe that the purpose of achieving is personal improvement and understanding. They focus on their own progress in mastering skills and knowledge. They define success in those terms. Students with an ability goal orientation focus on appearing competent, usually in comparison to others, and they define success accordingly. Students with a task goal orientation generally use more effective cognitive strategies.