Self-Efficacy, Achievement Goal Orientations, and Academic Engagement Among Graduate Students of Color: A Convergent Parallel Mixed Methods Study
Year: 2026
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Graduate students of color often encounter academic and social challenges that may influence their motivation and engagement in graduate education. Although research has increasingly examined persistence and success in graduate programs, fewer studies have investigated how motivational beliefs and goal orientations jointly shape academic engagement among these students. The purpose of this convergent parallel mixed methods study was to examine relationships among academic self-efficacy, achievement goal orientations, and academic engagement among graduate students of color at a large public university in the United States. Quantitative data were collected using established instruments measuring academic self-efficacy, achievement goal orientations, and multidimensional engagement. Correlational and regression analyses examined associations among these variables. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews exploring participants’ lived experiences of motivation and engagement in graduate study. Quantitative results indicated that academic self-efficacy and approach-oriented goal orientations were positively associated with multiple dimensions of academic engagement, whereas avoidance-oriented goals demonstrated weaker relationships. Regression analyses showed that academic self-efficacy remained a consistent predictor of engagement across behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and social dimensions. Qualitative findings provided contextual insight into how graduate students of color interpret and regulate motivational beliefs within complex academic environments. Integrated findings highlight the central role of self-efficacy in shaping engagement and illustrate how goal orientations and contextual experiences influence motivational processes in graduate education.
Author: Ogunyomi, Opeyemi John
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7171276640