A linear structural model for academic achievement of mathematics students: mediating role of learning strategies between achievement goals and academic achievement

In this paper, we studied the mediating role of cognitive-academic engagement (deep and superficial processing strategies) between multi achievement goals (mastery, approach-performance, avoidance-performance goals) and academic achievement among female mathematics students in Tehran third grade high schools. 254 students have been selected through multi stage random sampling across high schools that located in north, south and center of Tehran. Questionnaire of achievement goals (Midgley etal,1998) and subscale of learning strategies from the questionare of motivational strategies for learning have been applied (Pintrich and Deegrot, 1994).At the end of academic year, student's average was accounted on the basis of their scores on five special lessons and was considered as their academic achievement indicator. Data were analyzed by confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha coefficient and structural equations model. Results showed that superficial and deep cognitive academic engagement has a mediating role between mastery goals, performance-approach goals and academic achievement. The results also showed the mediating role of superficial cognitive academic involvement between performance-avoidance goals and academic achievement.