When are performance-approach goals more adaptive for Chinese EFL learners? It depends on their underlying reasons

It has been debated for years whether performance-approach goals represents a maladaptive form of students’ motivation. Recently, researchers proposed that students’ reasons underlying their performance-approach goals may further our understanding of the nature of these goals (goal complexes). With a sequential explanatory mixed-method approach, we examined the function of performance-approach goal complexes on students’ L2 self-efficacy and anxiety, by surveying 283 Chinese college EFL-learners and conducting semi-structured interviews with six purposefully-selected students. Quantitative analyses showed that our data partly supported the proposed mediation model. Students’ controlled reasons to have performance-approach goals showed a significant direct effect on both their L2 anxiety (positively) and L2 self-efficacy (negatively). Conversely, students’ autonomous reasons showed a positive effect on their L2 self-efficacy, and a negative effect on their L2 anxiety, indirectly through their performance-approach goals. Qualitative interviews provided further insights into the mechanism of the model. Pedagogical implications and directions for future studies are discussed.