The Relationships among Perceived Parents’ Autonomy Support, Life Goal, and Achievement Goal in Pre-Service Kindergarten Teachers

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among perceived parents’ autonomy support,life goal, and achievement goal in pre-service kindergarten teachers. The tests of parents’ autonomysupport, life goal, and achievement goal scale were administered to 233 undergraduate female studentswho majored in early childhood education at two universities in S city and C city in Korea. Data analysiswas conducted via correlation and multiple regression analysis. The results of the study were as follows.First, there was a significant correlation between parents’ autonomy support and life goal in pre-servicepreschool teachers. Second, there was a significant correlation between parents’ autonomy support andachievement goal in pre-service preschool teachers. Third, there was a significant correlation betweenpreschool teachers’ intrinsic life goal and their mastery and performance-approach goal. Also, there was asignificant correlation between extrinsic life goal and performance-approach and performance-avoid goal inpre-service preschool teachers. Finally, pre-service preschool teachers’ mastery goal could be influencedsignificantly by only their intrinsic goal. Their performance-approach goal could be explained significantlyby their intrinsic and extrinsic goals. These findings suggest that pre-service kindergarten teachers’ life goalshould be considered and supported as a source of achievement goal orientation.