Individual Differences in High School Students' Motivational Strategies: A Metamotivational Investigation

• In Event: Contextualizing Knowledge and Decision Making in Strategic Learning

Abstract

Purpose: Students can employ an array of motivational strategies to overcome challenges during learning (Schwinger, Laden, & Spinath, 2007; Wolters, 2003). However, it is unclear whether students with certain characteristics differentially use motivational strategies. Understanding these differences is critical for both research and practice as it can inform theory and future interventions. Drawing from research and theory on self-regulated learning, this study investigates the individual differences in students’ reports of their motivational strategies with a diverse sample of high school students. We specifically examined on whether gender (female, male, other), racial ethnic minority status (yes/no), home language (not English, English), class year (2018-2024) and the number of dual enrollment courses (1-7) revealed different patterns in their reports of their motivational strategy use.

Framework: Self-regulated learning theory postulates that students are metacognitively and motivationally in control of their own learning and employ a set of strategies to regulate their learning process (Boekaerts, 1996; Pintrich, 2000; Winne & Hadwin, 2008; Zimmerman, 2000). These motivational strategies entail: (1) mastery self-talk to remind themselves that they want to learn for the sake of learning, (2) performance self-talk to remind themselves that they want to get good grades, (3) proximal goal setting to make the task more achievable, (4) interest enhancement to make the task more entertaining, and (5) utility-value self-talk to remind themselves that the task is useful for their career, and (6) self-consequating in which students give themselves a reward if they complete a task.

Method: As part of their dual enrollment courses, 23,341 high school students in Texas responded to a Likert-scale survey adapted from previously validated surveys (Schwinger, Steinmayr, & Spinath, 2009; Wolters, 1999) to assess their general motivational strategy use. They rated their frequency of use on a scale from 1(never) to 5(always) for six motivational strategies: mastery-approach self-talk, performance-approach self-talk, proximal goal setting, interest enhancement, utility-value self-talk, and self-consequating. Student demographic data was collected through their enrollment.

Results: Averaging across strategies, a multiple linear regression revealed that when students reported using them to a higher degree when they identified as female, were from a traditionally marginalized racial/ethnic background, or were first-generation. Similarly, the more classes students took and the lower their class year, the more they reported using the strategies frequently. There was no relation between home language and strategy use. When examining the specific strategies, multiple linear models revealed the same patterns for females, traditionally minoritized ethnic/racial backgrounds and the number of courses (Table 2). Slightly different patterns emerged for home language, first-generation, and class year.

Significance: Although motivational regulation is a critical component of self-regulated learning, it is an under-researched area (Wolters, 2003). This study revealed not only how frequently students report using different motivational strategies, but that students with different characteristics apply these strategies in unique ways, suggesting that some motivational strategies might be more relevant for their experiences. These findings also highlight the importance of contextual diversity in examining self-regulated learning and provides critical information for motivational strategy interventions.

Authors

• Cristina D. Zepeda, Vanderbilt University

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