Investigating How Students Change Their Motivational Learning Strategies and Its Relation to Course Performance

• In Event: College Students: Motivational Considerations and Factors

Abstract

Building on prior research that has identified different types of motivational strategies, this study surveyed 8,661 high school students to examine how the use of six motivational strategies changed over the school year, and how this change was related to course performance. At the beginning and end of the year, students rated their use of six motivational strategies: mastery-approach self-talk, performance-approach self-talk, utility-value self-talk, interest enhancement, self-consequating, and proximal goal setting. Over half the students changed their use of specific strategies. Results revealed that if students increased their use of mastery-approach self-talk and utility-value talk then they were more likely to earn better grades. Together, these findings have implications for self-regulated learning theory and interventions focusing on student learning.

Authors

• Cristina D. Zepeda, Vanderbilt University

• Andrew C. Butler, Washington University in St. Louis