Achievement Goal Profiles and Academic Performance in Mathematics and Literacy: A Person-Centered Approach in Third Grade Students

Fiévé, Justine; Likhanov, Maxim; Colé, Pascale; Régner, Isabelle

doi:10.3390/jintelligence13090108

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Achievement Goal Profiles and Academic Performance in Mathematics and Literacy: A Person-Centered Approach in Third Grade Students

Centre de Recherche en Psychologie et Neurosciences, Aix Marseille University, CNRS, CRPN, 13003 Marseille, France

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J. Intell. 2025, 13(9), 108; https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence13090108

Submission received: 19 July 2025 / Revised: 20 August 2025 / Accepted: 26 August 2025 / Published: 27 August 2025

(This article belongs to the Section Studies on Cognitive Processes)

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Abstract

In spite of the ever-growing body of research in achievement goal profiles and their contribution to performance, the research on young children is quite limited. This study examined achievement goal profiles related to mathematics and literacy performance among third-grade students (N = 185, M = 8.73 years; 98 girls), using Latent Profile Analysis. Four distinct profiles emerged—Mastery-Oriented, Approach-Oriented, High Multiple-Goals, and Moderate Multiple-Goals—that were highly similar across math and literacy (contingency coefficient = 0.59). Schoolchildren endorsing the Approach-Oriented profile demonstrated higher achievement compared to those with High Multiple-Goals or Moderate Multiple-Goals profiles, which involved more avoidance goals and were less adaptive (with up to 8% of variance explained by profile). Gender differences were observed: girls were more likely to endorse profiles combining multiple goals, whereas boys more often endorsed mastery or approach profiles. These results highlight early inter-individual differences in motivational development, observable in both mathematics and literacy. Promoting adaptive goal profiles in early education may enhance academic engagement and help reduce emerging motivational disparities.

Keywords: achievement goal profiles; gender differences; mathematics performance; literacy performance; latent profile analysis; elementary school

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MDPI and ACS Style

Fiévé, J.; Likhanov, M.; Colé, P.; Régner, I. Achievement Goal Profiles and Academic Performance in Mathematics and Literacy: A Person-Centered Approach in Third Grade Students. J. Intell. 2025, 13, 108. https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence13090108

AMA Style

Fiévé J, Likhanov M, Colé P, Régner I. Achievement Goal Profiles and Academic Performance in Mathematics and Literacy: A Person-Centered Approach in Third Grade Students. Journal of Intelligence. 2025; 13(9):108. https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence13090108

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fiévé, Justine, Maxim Likhanov, Pascale Colé, and Isabelle Régner. 2025. "Achievement Goal Profiles and Academic Performance in Mathematics and Literacy: A Person-Centered Approach in Third Grade Students" Journal of Intelligence 13, no. 9: 108. https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence13090108

APA Style

Fiévé, J., Likhanov, M., Colé, P., & Régner, I. (2025). Achievement Goal Profiles and Academic Performance in Mathematics and Literacy: A Person-Centered Approach in Third Grade Students. Journal of Intelligence, 13(9), 108. https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence13090108

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Achievement Goal Profiles and Academic Performance in Mathematics and Literacy: A Person-Centered Approach in Third Grade Students

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