How learners' achievement goal motivation influences their metacognitive skills in online social annotations context?

Online learning requires high self-regulated abilities facilitated by metacognitive skills. Achievement goal motivation impacts metacognition, but their relationship in online learning contexts lacks consensus. One of the components of achievement goal orientation is mastery goal orientation which focuses on learning and self-improvement. The other component, performance goal orientation, emphasises demonstrating competence. This quantitative study collected questionnaire and behavioural log data from 39 learners and examined the interplay between achievement goal motivation and metacognitive skills within an online social annotation environment. Findings revealed that mastery goal orientation positively correlated with metacognitive planning and regulation, while performance goal orientation was predominantly associated with metacognitive regulation. Neither goals significantly correlated with metacognitive monitoring. Cluster analysis indicated that 'balanced achievers' with higher performance goal orientation may play a pivotal role in promoting social cognition. These insights deepen understanding of motivating learners and creating effective online learning approaches by leveraging the influence of achievement goal motivation on metacognitive strategies.