Relationship of Motivation, Strategic Learning, and Reading Achievement in Grades 5, 7, and 9

Abstract The relationships among attributional beliefs, self-perception of competence, knowledge, and reported use of learning and reading strategies and reading achievement were investigated. Subjects included 104 Grade 5, 133 Grade 7, and 101 Grade 9 students with and without learning difficulties. Results provided empirical support for a close relationship between motivation and strategic learning proposed in recent metacognitive theories. Although the motivation variables had a more important role than strategic learning in explaining achievement variance in the younger grades, strategic learning was found to mediate between the effects of motivation on reading achievement in Grade 9. Further, a pattern of learned helplessness was observed among the poor learners in the study. Implications of these findings for instruction are discussed.