Do motivational regulation strategies contribute to university students' academic success?

Based on the framework of self-regulated learning, we conducted a cross-sectional and a longitudinal study with university undergraduates (N₁ = 249; N₂ = 210) to examine the associations of using different motivational regulation strategies and two important aspects of academic success: academic performance and dropout intention. According to the Motivational Regulation Model of Schwinger and Stiensmeier-Pelster (2012), we assumed that motivational regulation strategies will positively predict academic performance and negatively predict dropout intention via increased academic effort. Results of both studies largely supported our assumptions. Furthermore, the overall score of motivational regulation strategies and most specific strategies significantly predicted both examined aspects of academic success after controlling for high school GPA as their major traditional predictor. Thus, our findings replicate and extend previous research on the relevance of motivational regulation strategies in the context of higher education, by highlighting their significant contributions to improving academic performance and reducing dropout intention.