Students’ goal orientations and learning strategies in a powerful learning environment : a case study

In Dutch secondary education, experiments with powerful social constructivist learning environments are conducted that aim to appeal to students’ intrinsic goal orientations, use of deep cognitive learning strategies, and self-direction of meta-cognitive learning strategies. The aim of this study is to gain insight into the relation between learning environment characteristics and students’ goal orientations and learning strategies, by means of a case study of one innovative school. Ten lesson observations were carried out. Students (n=138) filled out questionnaires about their learning preferences. Results showed that characteristics of powerful learning environments were present. Students showed relatively strong preferences for mastery goals and had equal preferences for deep and surface cognitive learning strategies. Preferences for self-direction of meta-cognitive strategies were rather low