Motivation and learning strategies are central factors influencing academic performance, especially in complex subjects such as biology. Students’ capacity to regulate their own learning, manage study strategies and maintain motivation can significantly affect their understanding and retention of scientific concepts. Exploring these factors in both high school and university students provides insight into developmental and contextual differences in learning approaches. A quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational study was conducted with a convenience sample of 128 participants, including 65 high school students and 63 university students. Data were collected online using the DSML questionnaire, which evaluates motivational components: Test Anxiety, Self-Efficacy, and Course Utility; and strategic components: Source Diversity, Study Skills, and Self-Regulation on a 7-point Likert scale. This framework allows for the identification of distinct profiles and the analysis of relationships between motivation and learning strategies. The results revealed that each group exhibited unique motivational and strategic patterns, with statistically significant positive correlations between motivational factors and learning strategies. These findings suggest that higher levels of self-efficacy and perceived course utility are associated with more diverse and effective study strategies, while increased test anxiety may negatively impact self-regulation. Understanding these interdependencies can inform targeted interventions to enhance learning outcomes and support the development of self-regulated learners in both secondary and higher education contexts.

Diversity of Strategies for Motivation in Learning (DSML), academic performance, motivational components, self-regulated learning, strategic patterns

biology

Presentation: poster