RELATIONSHIP OF MOTIVATION, STRATEGIC LEARNING, AND READING-ACHIEVEMENT IN GRADE 5, GRADE-7, AND GRADE-9

The relationships among attributional beliefs, self-perception of comp etence, knowledge, and reported use of learning and reading strategies and reading achievement were investigated. Subjects included 104 Grad e 5, 133 Grade 7, and 101 Grade 9 students with and without learning d ifficulties. Results provided empirical support for a close relationsh ip between motivation and strategic learning proposed in recent metaco gnitive theories. Although the motivation variables had a more importa nt role than strategic learning in explaining achievement variance in the younger grades, strategic learning was found to mediate between th e effects of motivation on reading achievement in Grade 9. Further, a pattern of learned helplessness was observed among the poor learners i n the study. Implications of these findings for instruction are discus sed.