Learning orientation and goal orientation context: Relationships with cognitive and affective learning outcomes

A field experiment of ninety-six employees tested a model of the relationships among dispositional learning orientation, self-efficacy, goal orientation context, and declarative knowledge. Specifically, the model predicted positive influences of task-specific self-efficacy (preand mid-training) and declarative knowledge in the relationship between learning orientation and posttraining self-efficacy. In addition, the model included a positive path from goal orientation context (0 = performance; 1 = learning) to posttraining self-efficacy. Finally, the model included the interactive effect of learning orientation and goal orientation context on posttraining self-efficacy. The setting was an introductory Microsoft Access 97 software training course. But for three, the hypotheses were supported, including the hypothesized interaction effect. Tests of three alternative models showed poorer fits to the data than the hypothesized model.