Exploring the Motivation Orientation and Learning Strategies of First Year University Learners
Tóm tắt
Both internationally and withinSouth Africa the failure rates at universitiesare presently high and throughput andgraduation rates are low. It is thus imperativethat the cognitive and non-cognitive predictorsrelated to identifying learners who willsucceed academically are explored. This paperfocuses on two potentially importantnon-cognitive predictors, namely motivationalorientation and the use of learning strategies. Learners are described according to theseconstructs, and the relationship of theseconstructs to academic performance is alsoexplored. In addition, the patterns ofperformance of the learners are explored. Using a convenience sampling technique,learners from a first year psychology classwere surveyed using the Motivated Strategiesfor Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). Academicperformance was measured using the percentagescore learners earned at the end of their firstsemester. The statistical analysis wasdescriptive and correlational in nature. Important trends and relationships arereported. The implications of the findings forthe admission and development of first yearhigher education students are discussed.
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