Motivation and Learning Strategies for College Success : A Self-management Approach

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82   CHAPTER 3

behavior and, ultimately, make the necessary changes to attain your

personal and academic goals.

You have now completed the first three chapters that provide a

foundation for you to understand what academic and motivational

strategies are necessary for successful learning. Now you are ready to

learn the specific motivational, behavioral, and learning and study

strategies that can allow you to attain higher levels of academic suc-

cess. If you have any doubts about your motivation to change, now

is a good time to discuss your concerns with your instructor or teach-

ing assistant. Your perceptions and beliefs play a major role in deter-

mining how much you will learn in this course. Deal directly with

these beliefs, and you are more likely to be a more satisfied student.

Key Points

1. Beliefs, perceptions, and emotions influence motivation and
   behavior.


2. Motivated behaviors are determined by choice of behavior, level
   of activity and involvement, and persistence and management of
   effort.


3. Motivation is influenced by personal and sociocultural factors,
   classroom contextual factors, and internal factors.


4. The answers to the following questions can provide important
   insights into one’s motivation:
   
   
   • “What are my goals?”
   
   
   • “How interested am I in my courses?”
   
   
   • “Do I believe I can do well on different academic tasks?”
   
   
   • “What are the causes of my successes and failures?”
   
   
   • “How do I feel about my academic challenges?”
   
   
   
   


5. Achievement goals determine patterns of motivation that deter-
   mine how learners think about and engage in different academic
   activities.


6. Goals enhance performance in five major ways: effort, duration
   or persistence, direction of attention, strategic planning, and as
   a reference point for evaluating performance.


7. It is difficult to be motivated to achieve in any area without goals.


8. A mastery goal orientation is more likely to lead to the use of
   more learning strategies than a performance goal orientation.


9. There is evidence that a performance goal orientation in intro-
   ductory college classes leads to high achievement and low inter-
   ests in course content.


10. Self-efficacy influences individuals’ effort, persistence, and use of
    learning strategies.


11. Students should constantly monitor their attributional messages.