Investigating the Role of Goal Orientation: Metacognitive and Cognitive Strategy Use and Learning with Intelligent Tutoring Systems

Cognitive, affective, metacognitive, and motivational (CAMM) processes are critical components of self-regulated learning (SRL) essential for learning and problem solving. Currently, ITSs are designed to foster cognitive, affective, and metacognitive (CAM) strategies and processes, presenting major gaps in the research since motivation is a key component of SRL and influences the remaining CAM processes. In our study, students interacted with MetaTutor, a hypermedia-based ITS, to investigate how 190 undergraduate students’ proportional learning gain (PLG) related to sub-goals set, cognitive strategy use and metacognitive processes differed based on self-reported achievement goal orientation. Results indicated differences between approach, avoidance, and students who adopted both approach and avoidance goal orientations, but no differences between mastery, performance and students who adopted both mastery and performance goal orientations on PLG for content related to sub-goal 1. Conversely, no differences were found between goal orientation groups on PLG for sub-goal 2, revealing possible changes in goal orientation following sub-goal 1. Analyses indicated no differences between goal orientation groups on metacognitive processes and cognitive strategy use. Thus, we suggest turning away from self-report data, where future studies aim to incorporate multi-channel data over durations of tasks as students interact with ITSs to measure motivation and its tendency to fluctuate in real-time. Implications for using multiple data channels to measure motivation could contribute to adaptive ITS design based on all CAMM processes.