The relationship between 8th grade secondary school students' motivational strategies, attitudes and academic achievements concerning English learning

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships among 8th grade secondary school students' self-regulated strategies, motivational beliefs, attitudes towards English course and English academic achievement. In this study, correlational survey method was used. The 949 8th grade secondary school students determined by stratified sampling method formed the sample of the study. In this study, Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire and Attitude Scale for English Course were used as data collection tools. In this study, Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and stepwise regression analysis were used for data analysis. As a result of the study, it was found that there is a moderate, positive and significant relationship between students' TEOG English achievement and self-regulation, cognitive strategy, self-efficacy, intrinsic value and attitudes towards English course; and there is a low, positive and significant relationship between students' TEOG English achievement and students' test anxiety. It was found that students' intrinsic goal orientation, self-efficacy perceptions and attitudes towards English course predict 43.9% of the variance in students' self-regulated strategies, while test-anxiety does not significantly predict self-regulated strategies. It was found that the students' self-regulated strategies (self-regulation, cognitive strategies), motivational beliefs (self-efficacy, test anxiety, intrinsic value) and attitudes towards English course can predict 55.2% of the variance of their English academic achievement. In this respect, it may be suggested that teachers and students to be trained on motivational strategies through various training activities and seminars.