I THINK, THEREFORE IM MOTIVATED - THE RELATIONS AMONG COGNITIVE STRATEGY USE, MOTIVATIONAL ORIENTATION AND CLASSROOM PERCEPTIONS OVER TIME

Finding ways to enhance the effectiveness of student learning is of pe rennial interest to researchers and practitioners alike. One approach to these issues has been to examine the relations between motivation a nd cognition over time. In addition, it is likely that students percep tions of the classroom context may play a role in facilitating effecti ve learning. The current study examines these issues from a goal orien tation theory perspective using a sample of middle school students (n = 306). Data on students' personal motivational beliefs and cognitive strategy use as well as perceptions of the classroom goal structures w ere gathered using surveys. A longitudinal design was used to examine the research questions. Results suggest that motivation and cognition are reciprocally related over time. In addition, perceptions of classr oom context were found to have an explanatory effect over and above th e variance explained by prior measures of motivation and cognition. Th e implications for this work include the notion that student motivatio n can be enhanced through instruction in cognitive strategy use as wel l as through alteration of classroom goal structures so that there is a stronger emphasis on tasks and learning rather than on grades or ext ernal recognition.