How can we personalize learning? Looking at the role of goal orientation.

Undergraduate classrooms have never been more unique. No longer does a traditional, one-size-fits-all approach to teaching work to reach every student in the room. A more personalized, custom approach to instruction is necessary to align with the individual learning styles and needs of the students. One way for an instructor to achieve this is to better understand how the goals of a student align with that student’s unique personality. More effective teaching techniques can be used and better student outcomes can be enjoyed through this understanding. Below, please find a summary of the results from a study I conducted with several colleagues.

Key Takeaways:

• Goal Orientations: Different students have different goal orientations. Some are mastery-oriented, while others are performance-oriented. These orientations can be strongly influenced by their personality traits.

• Mastery-Oriented Learning: A learning environment where students are only focused on outperforming peers does not necessarily foster sustainable learning. Instead, mastery orientation encourages an environment where students' aim is to learn and improve day after day - for the sake of learning. This approach is important for long-term higher academic performance.

• Adaptive Motivation: Adaptive motivation, motivation that adapts to different situations and learning objectives, can help encourage higher levels of performance in many different learning environments. For example, sometimes healthy competition might be a great learning strategy; however, other times a focus on individual development might be much more effective and appropriate.

• Engaging Students: It is worthwhile to engage students directly in the motivation/personality conversation. Having discussions in class regarding the connection between personality and goal orientation can, in itself, drive better outcomes.

• Personalized Learning: There is power in personalized learning. More than a method, this is a tool that empowers students to recognize their own unique characteristics and preferences. When students know more about themselves, they can work together with educators to build a productive learning environment.

Observed Relationships Between Personality and Goal Orientation

Personalized learning can help improve the learning experience. Educators leading undergraduate students should consider looking into the connection between personality, goal orientation, and academic achievement. This will make it possible to create learning experiences that empower students and enhance their overall engagement in the process. I've included the full manuscript below if you are interested in learning more. Please be sure to share your insights in the comments.

Personality_Goal_Orientation.pdf

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Lamm, K. W., Sheikh, E., Carter, H. S., & Lamm, A. J. (2017). Predicting undergraduate leadership student goal orientation using personality traits. Journal of Leadership Education, 16(1), 18-33. https://doi.org/10.12806/v16/i1/r2