摘要：Recently published textbooks on educational psychology have recommended a promotion of self-regulated learning skills and a learning goal orientation to improve pupils’ school achievement. This approach maintains that a learning goal orientation has a positive influence on the acquisition of beneficial self-regulated learning skills. However, only sporadic empirical evidence has been presented to support this assumption. Therefore, an examination was made to see how motivational orientations affect the success of a training program for the improvement of time management skills and self-regulated learning. Participants of the study were 393 4th grade pupils in the subject of mathematics. Three clusters of motivational orientation were identified with the application of a cluster analysis before the training started. Training benefits surfaced with respect to time management and self-regulated learning skills as well as scholastic performance. A moderator effect due to motivational orientation was demonstrated with regard to both of the measures of self-related cognitions applied: expectation of success, and confidence in one’s own mathematical abilities. Of particular interest was the fact that no training effects were found for pupils of the cluster which was labeled as learning goal oriented. However, the training was able to install a realistic manner of self-appraisal among these pupils. The results indicate that the general availability of goals and their attainment are possibly just as meaningful a prerequisite for adaptive leaning behaviors for younger pupils as the attainment of qualitatively specific motivational orientations is for older pupils.
