How and why should I study?: Metacognitive learning strategies and motivational beliefs as important predictors of academic performance of student teachers

Abstract

The study examined the relationship between metacognitive learning strategies and motivational beliefs, predicting academic performance of student teachers. The main aim of the study was to examine the predictive value of motivational beliefs and metacognitive learning strategies for students’ academic performance. In the study 307 student teachers of the Faculty of Education completed the revised version of Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (Pintrich & de Groot, 1990). Regression analyses revealed that a higher sense of self-efficacy predicted better academic performance and a higher test anxiety predicted poorer academic performance. The implications of motivational orientation for cognitive engagement and self-regulation at the faculty are discussed.