LEARNING SKILLS AND MOTIVATION: CORRELATES TO SUPERIOR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

This paper describes a study that was conducted at a mid-sized public state-university in the mid-south, USA, to examine various factors affecting student academic performance. In this study, the 10-scale Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) assessment device was administered. This set of scales measures students’ receptivity to skills and strategies that purportedly enhance one’s ability to learn and successfully perform in an academic setting. Results from this instrument showed that the single most influential learning and study skill promoting positive academic performance was level of intrinsic motivation. To explore the individual aspects of motivation, the 8-scale Downing Self-Assessment Questionnaire was also administered. The Downing questionnaire examines motivational factors, for example, behaviors and beliefs, which might maximize one’s potential for positive achievement in college. Along with motivation, the subscale measuring an attitude of life-long learning significantly predicted academic performance. The results of this study have pedagogical implications for helping students maximize their academic performance in college.