Self-esteem and achievement motivation as determinants of students' approaches to studying

ABSTRACT The study examines students' self-esteem and achievement motivation, and their relationship with approaches to studying and levels of processing. The study sample consisted of 135 undergraduate students and results revealed that students' self-esteem and achievement motivation have significant correlations with various subscales of two learning styles inventories. The regression analysis using self-esteem and achievement motivation as independent variables together with the correlation analysis suggests that self-esteem makes a positive contribution to students' scores on deep processing, and a negative contribution to their scores on reproducing orientation, improvidence and globetrotting Achievement motivation contributes positively to students' scores on achieving orientation, meaning orientation and methodical study. The results therefore suggest that students' personality variables in general and self-esteem and achievement motivation in particular, have a substantial influence on their approaches to study and to levels of processing.