Learning-strategy profiles and academic achievement in high-school students: a latent profile analysis based on the ACRA model

Background Strategic learning is especially relevant in high school, a stage marked by increasing academic demands and a presupposed but still-developing cognitive autonomy. Research on learning strategies has relied mainly on variable-centered analyses; this study adds a person-centered analysis whose core is the identification of strategic profiles through latent profile analysis Methods Participants were 154 Ecuadorian students (55.8% female) from the three high-school grades, selected through stratified probability sampling. The ACRA Learning Strategies Scales were administered and grade-point average was collected. A latent profile analysis compared one- to six-class solutions; registered sex and grade level were entered as control variables to assess the independence and robustness of the solution. Results Three profiles ordered by strategic-repertoire intensity were identified: low (18.2%), moderate (47.4%), and comprehensive (34.4%), differing in level rather than shape, with Retrieval and Support as the most discriminating dimensions. Profile membership was independent of registered sex and grade level, a central finding supporting the robustness of the classification. The comprehensive profile outperformed the low profile, and this difference held when accounting for the control variables. Conclusions With the caution required by a cross-sectional design, findings support a positive relationship between the breadth of the strategic repertoire and academic achievement and point toward universal, curriculum-embedded strategy instruction.