Predicting Math Achievement Using the SMALSI as a Measure of Motivation and Learning and Study Strategy Use

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the School Motivation and Learning Strategies Inventory (SMALSI) and the AIMSweb Math Winter Benchmarks to determine if they could be used by school personnel to identify students at-risk of low performance in mathematics. Previous research shows strategy use enhances math achievement and math fluency predicts math achievement. It was thought that if scores on the SMALSI and AIMSweb Math Winter Benchmarks were found to correlate to scores on the math subtests of the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement (WJ-III) and the TAKS Math Test, then this would provide evidence for using the SMALSI and AIMSweb Benchmarks for identifying students at-risk of learning problems in mathematics. Participants (n = 176) completed the AIMSweb Math Winter Benchmarks, the SMALSI, the math subtests of the WJ-III, and the TAKS Math Test. None of the scales of the SMALSI were statistically significant predictors of the variance in performance on the WJ-III when used individually. The Writing/Research Skills scale explained the most variance as an individual predictor. When all nine scales were used as predictors, they explained a statistically significant portion of the variance on the WJ-III, with the Reading/Comprehension Strategies scale being the most significant predictor. The level of learning and study strategy use predicted more of the variance in performance on the WJ-III for students in Fifth Grade than for students in Third and Fourth Grade, even though the level of strategy use remained the same across the three grade levels. In general, females reported using more learning and study strategies and more anxiety during test-taking situations while males reported lower academic motivation and more attention/concentration difficulties. Finally, the AIMSweb Math Winter Benchmarks explained a statistically significant portion of the variance in performance on the WJ-III and the TAKS Math Test. Based on these results, the SMALSI would be a useful screening tool for identifying students who require explicit instruction of learning and study strategies designed to enhance math achievement, and the AIMSweb Math Winter Benchmarks would be a useful screening tool for identifying students at-risk of academic difficulties in mathematics.