Motivation, Meta-Cognition and Self-Regulation as Predictors of Long Term Educational Attainment

In a longitudinal study, long term educational attainment in secondary education was predicted by motivation, meta-cognition and self-regulation as well as student background variables and prior achievement. The dependent variables were: (1) the position in the fifth grade of the two highest tracks; (2) the choice of examination subjects; and (3) the mean achievement in the fifth grade in the chosen subjects. The position-variable correlates most strongly with the prognosis given at the end of primary education, and with the combined score on three progress tests taken during the first grade of secondary education. There was a large gender difference in the choice of examination subjects with boys choosing the three science subjects (pure mathematics, physics, chemistry) 30% more often. The choice of these subjects also correlates with the scores on the arithmetic progress test in the first grade and a mathematics test taken in the third grade. Achievement motivation and fear of failure are prominent predictors of the mean achievement in grade 5, as is prior achievement. Surprisingly meta-cognitive and self-regulation variables are hardly related to mean achievement.