Seventh Graders' Learning Strategies and Achievement Goal Orientations as Predictors of Their Achievement in Social Studies

Abstract

It is aimed to examine the relationships among seventh-graders’ achievement goal orientations and learning strategies and achievement in Social Studies. In this quantitative study with a correlational design, the data were collected from 440 seventh-grade students studying in nine public middle schools selected by convenience sampling. As data collection tools, Learning Strategies for Social Studies Scale (Didin & Kasapoglu, 2017), Social Studies-Oriented Achievement Goals Scale (Gezer & Sahin, 2016) and Personal Information Form were used. Seventh-graders’ achievement in Social Studies was determined based on end-of-term grades. The data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. The results of the hierarchical regression analysis depicted that seventh-graders’ learning strategies for Social Studies positively predicted their achievement in Social Studies, after controlling for gender. After adjustment for both their gender and learning strategies for Social Studies, the task-approach as one of the Social Studies-oriented achievement goals positively predicted their achievement in Social Studies.