The Relevance of Learning Approaches and Temporal Perspective for Test-Taking

Abstract

Test-taking is an integral part of students’ lives, and the way they approach tests may be of high relevance for their academic outcomes. Therefore, the present study addressed the way college students reflect on the process of preparing for tests. Specifically, it investigated the relevance of students' achievement goals, perceived academic control, and consideration of future consequences for several aspects of the test-taking process. The results obtained revealed mastery goals, perceived academic control, and the ability to disengage from the present moment as significant predictors of students’ satisfaction with knowledge. Furthermore, higher success optimism was associated with having higher perceived academic control, more pronounced mastery goals, less pronounced social solidarity goals, and a higher tendency to focus on the future, whereas perceived academic control was revealed to be a significant predictor of the perceived ease of preparing for tests.

Keywords

• achievement goals
• consideration of future consequences
• higher education
• perceived academic control
• test-taking