Motivational levels in secondary students and their discrimination in terms of the motivational strategies

Abstract

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this work was to study the motivational levels of secondary students and  how the different motivacional self-regulatory strategies used by students distinguish  groups of students with different motivational levels. The sample is made up of 2,387 middle school students. The motivational variables studied are the following: Academic goals, Beliefs of control and self-efficiency of learning, Anxiety and Self-efficiency for achievement. In the study of the students´ motivational levels, by mean of cluster analysis, were identified three students groups with different motivational levels. The larger group is characterized, more than the other two, by attempts to show ability, avoiding appearing less capable to their peers and by worrying before exam situations. On the other hand, the motivational self-regulatory strategies that distinguish better between the three motivational levels studied are: in the component of expectancy, the Generation of positive expectancy strategy; regarding to the component of value, the Generation of self-defeating goal strategy; and finally, in relation of component of affect, the Self-reinforcement strategy.