ABSTRACT

Public conversation and formal educational policy reveal clear conflicts in beliefs about the goals of education and schooling. The prevalence of high-stakes testing programs, demands for teacher accountability, and ongoing concern about students’ college readiness send a strong message to many students that the main purpose of education is performing well on examinations (Nichols & Berliner, 2006). The idea that the purpose of schooling is developing knowledge and promoting learning often gets lost behind the strong emphasis on assessment. This focus on differing purposes and goals for education lies at the heart of goal orientation theory.