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Types of goals
There are different types of goals. If you just want to pass an exam, get the paper and an acceptable grade, you choose performance goals.

If you prefer to focus on raising your levels of knowledge, competence and skills, you should rather go for learning goals

  1. What kind of goals should you have?
    Avoid mixing goals and wishes.
    It's no use saying, 'I wish I could play guitar'.
    You have to say: 'I will be able to tune the instrument and play the tones C, F, G and A minor on the guitar by 20 September'

    You have to try to set your goals so that the extent of the challenge is adjusted with the degree of competence.

    A goal can be to get into the 'flow zone' - a state of 'relaxed efficiency'.
    Time, place and space then feel as if repealed.
    Children's intense play is an example of this condition.

    The ultimate goal provides the right balance between the challenge and the competence you have.
    Set the goal too high, and the work becomes stressful and filled with anxiety.
    Set goals too low, and the work will be boring.

    Too high goals can lead to failure; too low goals do not lead to learning.
    Both lead to 'learned helplessness'
  1. Learned helplessness
    Students with learned helplessness expect and accept defeat because they think that they are stupid.
    They emphasize their ability to perform rather than how much efforts they put in.

    Learned helplessness refers to the expectation that your actions cannot lead to success (See the attribution theory).

    When you make your learning strategy, it is therefore wise to focus primarily on learning goals and your efforts to achieve these.
    Keep performance goals at a low level on your priority list.
    Enjoy recognition, but do not let this concern override the learning objectives/goals.
    As a main rule you should focus on learning rather than performing.
    You learn by trying out things, making mistakes, reflecting and correcting your course.

    If you focus much on your abilities and your performance, you attribute your results to external, stable and uncontrollable factors, and your learning will suffer.
  1. Self-handicapping
    Self-handicapping occurs when you create impediments that make good performance less likely.

    Impediments can be refusing to practice, using drugs and alcohol and reducing efforts.
    These impediments may protect the person's sense of competence.

    When you practice self-handicapping you can always attribute your failure to the impediment, while you can really shine in the sun if you are doing well. - After all, you overcame the impediment.
    Attributing your success or failure to impediments will reduce your motivation and willingness to put in extra efforts.

    Many teenagers indulge in self-handicapping, as they often emphasise performance and ability rather than their own efforts.
    Many teachers therefore keep telling their students to focus on the learning objectives and to put in more effort.

    Unfortunately, many school systems seem to emphasise grades over learning, or worse, insist on bureaucratic and inflexible grading according to the Gauss curve.
    Grades and Gauss curves are fine for their use, but they should not be permitted to overshadow the main aims of education.

    Gauss curves are statistical instruments for finding averages in large groups.
    Used uncritically on small groups, grades will measure performance relative to other students rather than to learning objectives. This is an unfortunate version of the tail wagging the dog, as students will inevitably attribute low grades to external, stable and uncontrollable factors, rather than to their own efforts, and will tend to adopt surface learning and performance goals.

    Students who are aware of this, should deliberately and systematically focus on learning and effort attributions in their learning strategies, as self-handicapping in some instances may be imposed by the atmosphere of the school.

    It also seems to be quite common that students reduce their learning efforts because they feel that they compete with their peers.

    They might also handicap themselves because they perceive that more efforts will be contrary to some student or ethnic opposition culture.
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