In the past decade or so, educators have carried out a number of studies centered on the important topic of “teaching students to learn”, among which the studies on learning motivation and learning strategies have attracted particular attention. Under the current exam-based education system in China, academic performance is the fundamental means of measuring students’ learning, and motivation and learning strategies, as extremely important factors affecting students’ learning, have a direct impact on students’ academic performance. Good learning motivation and scientific learning strategies have a certain improvement effect on students’ learning attitudes and behaviors, which can help students, learn more effectively and improve their knowledge and academic performance. The purpose of this research is to study the relationship between learning motivation and learning strategies of primary school students. The present study aims to bridge this gap by conducting a questionnaire survey among elementary school students in an elementary school in Kunming, Yunnan Province, to provide insights into the relationship between motivations and learning strategies among elementary school students, taking into account the influence of a more comprehensive set of variables. The study found that students with higher intrinsic motivation tended to use effective learning strategies to help them learn, and that girls tended to use the right learning strategies to learn more than boys. This study will help to improve our understanding of the learning process of primary school students and provide parents, teachers, and policy makers with further insights and guidance that will help to improve students’ motivation and adoption of effective learning strategies.