Learning Strategy Use and Cognitive and Motivational Factors in High School Students :

Individual Differences in Predicted Test Scores With a Focus on Effects of Perceived Utility

Abstract

  The present study examined whether cognitive or motivational factors have a stronger influence on high school students’ English vocabulary learning strategies, and also examined factors that determine students’ willingness to try to change the degree of strategy use after regular tests.  The participants were divided into low (n=84) and high (n=112) groups on the basis of their predicted scores on a regular English test administered just prior to the present research. Path analysis, based on the assumption of paths from each factor to “learning strategy use” and “will to use strategy”, revealed that “learning strategy use” consistently showed a significant path from perceived utility, and “will to use strategy” showed significant paths from perceived utility and strategy use.  However, a comparison of the size of the path coefficients revealed the possibility that intervening in perceived utility and cost may change the degree of strategy use in the “low” group.  This suggests that in educational practice, it may be important to focus not only on motivational factors but also on cognitive factors.