The Relation among Motivational Beliefs, Cognitive and Metacognitive Strategies and Academic Achievement: Testing of Alternative Models

The purpose of the present study was to assess the relationship between motivational beliefs (self-efficacy, learning control, and test anxiety), cognitive and metacognitive strategies (critical thinking, metacognitive self- regulation, time and environment management and peer help seeking), and academic achievement in third grade high school female students of humanities, using causal model. Multistage sampling was used in order to select the sample group. To this end, 250 students were selected from among third grade female high school students in Tehran in the educational year 1388-89. In order to assess all research variables, the motivational strategies for learning questionnaire was used. In this study the average of students’ scores in five specific subjects, was considered as their index of academic achievement. Data were analyzed using confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis and structural equations model; and for the assessment of causal relationships among research variables, two cognitive models were tested and compared. Results indicated a better goodness of fit for the second model. In this model, self-efficacy and beliefs of control were considered as exogenous variables and critical thinking, cognitive self- regulation, time and environment management, peer help seeking and academic achievement were considered as endogenous variables. Nevertheless, both models indicated the presence of significant causal relationships between motivational beliefs, cognitive and metacognitive strategies and academic achievement. More successful students took advantage of a greater number of cognitive and metacognitive strategies, had a lower level of test anxiety, and therefore, showed greater academic achievement.