Self-regulation of motivation: Contributing to students' learning in middle school

The self-regulation of motivation (SRM) implies that students can regulate their motivation to learn, a process that has a positive impact on academic achievement. SRM regulates students' behavior through strategies that are influenced by motivational beliefs (e.g., expectations, goals, and values). The self-regulation of motivation allows students to motivate themselves and guides their behavior, and thus, becomes part of the self-regulatory process. In this paper our goal was to identify beliefs regarding motivation to learn, more specifically those that promote students 'use of self-regulation of motivation strategies. The Self-Regulation of Motivation for Learning Scales (SRMLS) is an inventory developed to assess the SRM process in two major dimensions: motivational beliefs and SRM strategies. In order to achieve our goals 550 students from 7th to 9th grades responded to SRMLS. Self-efficacy expectations, task value and achievement goals are good predictors of self-regulation of motivation strategies. Results suggest that self-efficacy expectations, task value and achievement goals may be important in promoting student's regulation of motivation for learning. Future implications for research and education are discussed. (C) 2016 Published by Future Academy www.FutureAcademy.org.uk