Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.5559/di.25.4.04
The Role of Personality and Subject-Specific Motivation in Students' Achievement in Math and Mother Tongue
Sonja Pečjak
orcid.org/0000-0001-8420-3961
; Filozofski fakultet, Ljubljana
Tina Pirc
; Filozofski fakultet, Ljubljana
Cirila Peklaj
; Filozofski fakultet, Ljubljana
Abstract
The aim of the study was to examine and to compare the
relationships of different personality traits, subject-specific
motivational dimensions and students' achievement in math and
mother tongue in general upper secondary education, as well as
how these variables predict their achievement. A total of 397
students attending the first year of general upper secondary
education in Slovenia participated in the study. Different
measures were used to assess students' personality traits,
subject-specific interest, self-efficacy, volitional strategies and
final grades in math and mother tongue. The results of the
research showed different patterns of achievement predictors in
both subjects and differences in the predictive power of included
variables according to subjects. The included variables predicted
18% of variance in the Slovene language and 31% of variance
in math. In both subjects, achievement was significantly
positively predicted by self-efficacy and interest, and significantly
negatively predicted by energy and procrastination. In math,
agreeableness was also found as a significant negative predictor,
and in Slovene language conscientiousness and immediate
action were found as positive predictors of students' achievement.
Implications of the study's findings are also discussed.
Keywords
personality traits; interest; self-efficacy; students; achievement
Hrčak ID:
171221
URI
Publication date:
21.12.2016.
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