Based on an integration of achievement goal theory and academic emotions theory, the present study explored personal and contextual aspects of the achievement goal theory for disclosing how the perceived classroom goal structures (CGS), personal achievement goals, and boredom jointly have an impact on cheating. Accordingly, the aims of this study were twofold: first, to test whether personal achievement goals have a mediating effect on cheating through boredom (i.e., to validate the mediation role of boredom between personal achievement goals and cheating); second, to test whether the above mediation relationship can be moderated by the two types of perceived classroom goal structures (i.e., mastery and performance goal structures). Methodologically, one large-scale survey in the subject of mathematics was administered to a sample of 626 7th~9th grade Taiwanese students, and the collected data were analyzed using the technique of structural equational modeling (SEM) for validating the conditional indirect effect. The results showed that both the mastery and performance goals have a negative effect on cheating through boredom, but the negative indirect effect of "mastery goals → boredom → cheating" is relatively strong. Also, it was revealed that the perceived classroom goal structures well moderate the indirect effect of “personal achievement goals → boredom → cheating.” When the adopted personal goals are consistent with the perceived contextual goals, the negative inhibition effect of the personal achievement goals on cheating through boredom will become stronger as the perceived CGS score increases. That is, as the score of mastery goal structures
increases, the effect of the mastery goals on cheating through boredom is gradually enhanced; as the score of performance goal structures increases, the effect of the performance goals on cheating through boredom is gradually enhanced. However,
when the adopted personal goals are inconsistent with the perceived contextual goals, different moderating effects will occur as a result of diverse CGS types and the level of CGS scores. That is, when students perceive a high level of mastery goal structure, as the score of mastery goal structure increases, the effect of performance goal on cheating through boredom will be produced. When students perceive a low level of performance goal structure, as the score of mastery goal structures increases, the effect of mastery goal on cheating through boredom is likely to occur. Based on the reported results, several suggestions were proposed to not only inform the instruction and counseling practice of junior high school education, but also shed valuable light for future research.
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Why do students cheat? The conditional indirect effect of perceived classroom goal structures, personal achievement goals, and boredom on cheating
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