BECE. Newsletter 

Vol.13, No.1, 2023 1695 

 

 

 

 

The Impact of Achievement Goal Orientations on 

Learning Satisfaction of Secondary School Students: 

The Chain Mediating Effect of Academic 

Self-efficacy and Learning Engagement 

By Liu, Z. H. 
Correspondence to: Zaihua Liu, National Institute of Education Sciences, Bei-

jing, China. E-mail: liuzh8681@sina.com  

EARNING satisfaction is the feeling or attitude of learners towards 

learning activity participation, reflecting the degree of their fondness for 

learning activities as well as the extent to which their needs for learning are 

met or learning goals are achieved. Achievement goal orientations refer to 

students’ general tendencies for approaching, engaging in, and evaluating 

their academic progress and performance in achievement contexts. Achieve-

ment goal orientations address the reasons and purposes of individuals’ at-

tempt to accomplish certain achievement outcomes. Academic self-efficacy 

has significant influences on students’ persistence, perseverance, and emo-

tion-regulation in the learning process, and is a key factor in heightening 

their learning motivation and improving their academic performance. 

This study used the Secondary School Student Learning Satisfaction 

Scale, Achievement Goal Orientation Scale, Secondary School Student 

Learning Engagement Scale, Academic Self-Efficacy Questionnaire to con-

duct a questionnaire survey of 1,041 students in grades 7 - 12 from two sec-

ondary schools in Shandong and Henan Provinces, in attempt to examine the 

impact of achievement goal orientations on learning satisfaction among sec-

ondary school students. 

The research findings show that: (i) The performance-approach goal 

positively affect student learning satisfaction not only via the summative ef-

fect of learning engagement, but also via the chain mediation of academic 

self-efficacy and learning engagement; (ii) The mastery-approach goal can 

positively influence student learning satisfaction in a direct way, or through 

the mediation of learning engagement as well as through the chain mediation 

of academic self-efficacy and learning engagement; (iii) The mastery- avoid-

ance goal can negatively impact student learning satisfaction not only via the 

mediation of learning engagement, but also through the chain mediation of 

academic self-efficacy and learning engagement. Therefore, in educational 

practice, it is necessary to assist secondary school students in establishing 

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mailto:liuzh8681@sina.com


 

Vol.13, No.1, 2023 1696 

proper achievement goal orientations, enhancing their academic self-efficacy, 

and strengthening their learning engagement. 

 

Source: Educational Research and Experiment, 2022; 2022(5):98-103.