Academic performance, learning and stress in elementary students

Abstract

Homework, controversial and topical theme, form together with the cognitive-motivational variables of learning an important role in academic performance. The present study has as main objective to analyze the relationship between variables associated with homework, strategies and motivation for learning, discente stress and academic achievement in students from the third level of Primary education. The study of quantitative methodology and non-experimental involved 519 students, 279 boys (53.8 %) and 240 girls (46.2 %), aged between 10 and 12 years (M = 10.74; SD = 0.66) of the autonomous community of Cantabria. The results indicate direct relationships between academic performance and strategies of learning and motivation, and reverse with the perceived stress. There are significant differences in strategies of learning, motivation, effort on tasks and stress perceived according to the level of academic performance. This work reinforces the need to form strategic students and design interventions psycho-educational for the acquisition of coping skills and, on the other hand, train teachers to respond to demotivation and student stress that they can lead to learning difficulties.