LEARNING IN BASIC ELECTRICITY - HOW DO MOTIVATION, COGNITIVE AND CLASSROOM CLIMATE FACTORS INFLUENCE ACHIEVEMENT IN PHYSICS

The study of school learning cannot be reduced to cognitive aspects al one, because motivational factors, teaching methodology and other clas sroom-contextual factors exercise a significant influence. In this stu dy we describe a school experiment in which the learning history of st udents is followed by the use of tests, and, at the same time, the psy chological context of their learning is monitored and examined. From d ata on physics achievement and on psychological constructs, we attempt to elucidate the relationship between the two using LISREL analysis. The analyses of the results for the total population and for particula r student groups led to conclusions that, taken as a whole, confirm th e complex approach. Cognitive factors and interest contribute relative ly stable components in all the path analyses. The variations show up in the domains of emotions and of learning strategies, and in the perc eption of the social climate.