University students' achievement goals and approaches to learning in mathematics

Learning approaches and, in particular, the student learning patterns that can be identified, mainly in higher education, have attracted much interest from researchers in the last few decades (Meyer 2000; Vermunt & Vermetten 2004). The bulk of these studies are based on the student approach to learning (SAL) perspective, which refers to the way students go about the task of learning: their learning/study processes and related motivations (Biggs 2001; Entwistle & McCune 2004). Likewise, research on motivation has received particular attention in recent years, particularly the area of students' achievement goals (AG) and the different patterns of combination among them (i.e. multiple goal perspective) (Pintrich 2000, 2003). This has been the focus of an increasing number of theoretical and empirical studies. This AG perspective refers to the reasons or purposes students cite when engaged in academic work (Elliot & McGregor 2001).