Using personal best goal setting to promote students’ academic improvement

By Emma Burns / Andrew Martin / Rebecca Collie
Community contribution / April 4, 2018

There is a rising emphasis on high stakes testing within the Australian educational system and around the world. Accompanying this, there is likely to be an increase in competitiveness among students and schools. For some students, competition can be energising and foster motivation.

However, there are also many students for whom competition evokes stress and test anxiety. Indeed, within classrooms, too much emphasis ...

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By Emma Burns

Community

Emma C. Burns, B.A., Ph.D., is a Postdoctoral Research Officer in Educational Psychology at the University of New South Wales. Her research focuses on student motivational attitudes and self-beliefs, self-regulation, goal setting, engagement, and growth approaches to education. Her current work focuses these constructs in the science education domain. Through her research, Emma aims to promote positive classroom environments for students, as well as develop best practices that foster adaptive attitudes and behaviours in students to help them succeed. To see Emma's publications, visit: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Emma_Burns5

By Andrew Martin

Andrew Martin, BA (Hons), MEd (Hons), PhD, is Scientia Professor, Professor of Educational Psychology, and Co-Chair of the Educational Psychology Research Group in the School of Education at the University of New South Wales, Australia specializing in motivation, engagement, achievement, and quantitative research methods. He is also Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Education at the University of Oxford, Honorary Professor in the School of Education and Social Work at the University of Sydney, Fellow of the American Psychological Association, Fellow of the American Educational Research Association, Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, and President of the International Association of Applied Psychology’s Division 5 Educational and School Psychology. To see Andrew’s publications visit https://education.arts.unsw.edu.au/about-us/people/andrew-martin/

By Rebecca Collie

Rebecca Collie, B.Ed. (Hons), M.A., Ph.D., is a Scientia Research Fellow in Educational Psychology at the University of New South Wales. Her research interests focus on motivation and well-being among students and teachers, teachers' and students' psychosocial experiences at school (perceptions of school climate, job satisfaction, etc.), and quantitative research methods. Through her research, Rebecca aims to promote positive work environments and experiences among teachers as well as engagement and learning among students. She conducted her master’s and doctoral studies at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, and her undergraduate education at the University of Melbourne. She has also worked as a primary school teacher in Melbourne. To see Rebecca’s publications visit https://education.arts.unsw.edu.au/about-us/people/rebecca-collie/

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We neurodivergents have always been here; it's just that it is now realised.

— Peter Langdale on Teachers ‘On The Front Line’ Amid Rising Number Of Students With Disability Adjustments

Using personal best goal setting to promote students’ academic improvement

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