This study aimed to determine the effect of achievement goal orientation on student performance in the subject of English at secondary level. It was conducted in conventional classrooms in government High/Higher Secondary schools in district Peshawar. The sample consisted of 224 male and female teachers and 2240 boys and girl students. Items from the Patterns for Adaptive Learning Scale (PALS) developed and revised by Midgley, et.al, (2000) was used for the study. Students’ achievement was measured by using a multiple-choice test in the subject of English. Descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analysis were applied to identify significant predictors of achievement and to study the effects of students’ achievement goal orientation on their performance. The analysis revealed that teacher perceived school goal structure for students as more performance oriented than mastery oriented with more stress on high performance goals. Similarly teachers’ approached to instruction with multiple goals. They were more performance oriented than mastery oriented with slightly high performance approach to instruction than high mastery approach. It was found that teachers’ performance approach to instruction was significantly but negatively correlated to students’ mastery as well as performanceapproach goal orientation. Students had a multiple goal orientation. Majority of students had mastery goal orientation, followed by performance-avoid and performance-approach goal orientation. They were slightly more mastery oriented in general but in high-low category, they had more high performance-avoidance goal orientation, followed by high performance-approach goal and then by high mastery goal orientation. It was concluded that boys and girls differed in their achievement goal orientation. Students perceived their teachers as having multiple goals with focus on mastery and performance goals. They also perceived their teachers as having slightly high performance-avoidance goals than high performance-approach or high mastery goals. Students’ perception of teachers’ goals was significantly correlated to students’ goal orientation. Students viewed their classrooms as slightly more performance-approach oriented than mastery oriented. Majority of rural girls perceived their classroom to have high mastery goal structure, while majority of urban girls perceived them to have high performance-approach goal structure. Greater number of boys perceived their classrooms as having high performance-avoid goal structure than girls. Majority of urban boys perceived their classrooms as having high performance-avoid goal structure. Students’ perception of classroom goal structure was significantly correlated with students’ goal orientation, Students perceived their parents as asserting multiple goals with slightly more performance orientation than mastery orientation. However the difference was minimal. Students’ perception of parent goal was significantly correlated with students’ goal orientation. Students having high mastery goal orientation performed higher on performance test than students having low mastery goal orientation. Similarly students having high performance-approach goal orientation scored higher than those having low performance-approach goals. Furthermore, students having high performanceavoid goal orientation had slightly higher performance test score than students having low performance-avoid goal orientation. The study concluded that students’ performance was significantly correlated with students’ goal orientation and students’ mastery goal orientation was a strong predictor of achievement. The study recommended that teachers may provide students with meaningful activities to increase motivation and should encourage them for learning. Teachers may give attention to students’ abilities and their perceptions of learning and performance to help them to develop proper orientations resulting in adaptive learning patterns.