Seeking help in large college classes: A person-centered approach

This study assessed students' (N = 883) levels of help-seeking threat, their intentions to seek help, help-seeking goals, preferred helping resources, class-related motivation, and use of learning strategies. Hierarchical cluster analysis suggested four homogeneous groups, with 17% of the students that could be described as strategic/adaptive, formal help seekers and 23% as help-seeking avoidant, expedient help seekers. Strategic/adaptive students were more motivated, had higher mastery approach achievement goal levels, use of rehearsal (the strategy highly related to performance) and course grades. Help-seeking avoidant students were more anxious, performed more poorly and relied less on rehearsal and more on organization strategies. Help-seeking avoidant students also had higher mastery avoid, performance approach, and performance avoid achievement goal orientations. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.