The role of personal best (PB) goal setting in students' academic achievement gains

• An experimental study assessed the role of personal best (PB) goal setting in achievement.
• A pre/post treatment/control group experimental design was implemented.
• We tested whether a PB target score led to achievement growth in a mathematics test.
• The treatment group (PB goal setting) demonstrated significant achievement growth.
• Effects remained after controlling for other achievement goals.

An experimental study was conducted to assess the role of personal best (PB) goal setting in gains (or declines) in mathematics achievement. A total of 89 elementary and secondary school students participated in a pre/post treatment/control group experimental design to test whether setting a specific PB target score for an upcoming achievement test leads to achievement growth on that test. The treatment group (PB goal setting) demonstrated greater achievement growth than the control group between pre- and post-testing, including after controlling for mastery, performance-approach, performance-avoidance, and test strategy goals. This study provides support for the proposition that PB goal setting is associated with achievement growth in students' academic lives.