The Association between Trait Anxiety, Joy of Learning and Achievement Goals in Academic Settings

The study focused on the relation between students' emotional traits and their goal orientations. Data were collected from 151 fifth graders of a Gymnasium (academic track of secondary school) and their goal orientations as well as parent-reported trait anxiety and dispositional joy of learning were tested using two measurement points. The results indicated that there are systematic links between emotional traits and different goal orientations. Hierarchical regression analyses (including sex and performance) showed that trait anxiety was a significant predictor for performance avoidance goals even if prior goal orientation was included in the analyses. Performance approach goals were predicted by students dispositional joy of learning, whereas neither trait anxiety nor dispositional joy of learning was a crucial predictor for mastery goals. Cross-lagged-panel-analyses indicated a predominance of emotional traits for pursuing goal orientations.