Pioneering research into the educational benefits of ‘growth goals’ has found that students who set personal targets experience greater educational success throughout their study years.
The research, conducted for nearly two decades by Scientia Professor of Educational Psychology Andrew Martin of UNSW Sydney, demonstrates that growth goals significantly boost motivation, engagement, academic outcomes, and school attendance, especially for vulnerable groups like students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and those with ADHD.
Tracking the journeys of thousands of Australian high school students over multiple studies, the research has found that growth goals lead to significant improvements in deep learning, academic flow, and positive relationships with teachers.
Professor Martin emphasises that focusing assessments on growth and improvement offers all students a better chance at success, unlike traditional zero-sum assessment regimes where, for example, students are ranked against each other.
“Our findings clearly showed that when students focus on outperforming their past selves rather than their peers, they engage more deeply in their learning,” Martin says.
“Growth goals seem to offer a unique advantage to students who are often at an educational disadvantage. For instance, among students with ADHD we observed significantly larger positive effects on engagement and achievement when these students set growth goals compared to their peers without ADHD.”
Teacher feedback plays key role
Martin says teacher feedback also has a significant influence on growth goal setting and its subsequent impact on achievement.
“Teacher feedback is crucial, our research among Australian high school students showed that when feedback was coupled with forward-looking guidance, it directly predicted growth goal setting, which in turn, enhanced the link between feedback and improved achievement.”
“This research is particularly relevant for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, as demonstrated in the 2022 study involving 61,873 Australian high school students.
“We found that growth goals significantly bolstered educational outcomes for low-SES students, including by narrowing the attendance gap between low and high-SES students.”
Similarly, a 2019 study of 2,949 students showed that growth orientation predicted gains in engagement and achievement, with especially strong benefits for those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“We’re seeing that growth goals provide a framework where all students, regardless of their starting point, can experience meaningful academic success,” he says.
“This is especially important in educational settings where traditional assessment methods can leave many students feeling like they’re not capable of success.
“In an era where high-stakes testing and competition are the norms, growth goals offer a powerful complementary source of information to students. They shift the focus from outperforming others to outperforming oneself, which is a far more inclusive and motivating approach for a diverse student population.”