The National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST)9999, California, Amerika Birleşik Devletleri, 15 - 18 Nisan 2007, ss.227
The purposes of this study were to investigate the relationship among students’ learning approach, motivational
goals, previous semester science grades and their achievement in atom and periodic table concepts and explore
how well do the learning approach, motivational goal and students’ previous semester science grades predict
students’ achievement. The surveys of this study were administered to 416 students enrolled in seventh grade
elementary schools located in Ankara, Turkey. Correlational analysis was run to determine the relationships
among students’ learning approach, motivational goal and achievement, then multiple regression analysis was
conducted to better understand how the predictor variables might be associated with students’ achievement,.
Chemistry Achievement Test, Learning Approach Questionnaire, Achievement Motivation Questionnaire
were administered. Results showed that; meaningful learning, performance orientation and self effi cacy
were positively correlated with learning orientation. While students’ previous semester science grades were
positively correlated with achievement, meaningful learning, and self- effi cacy, it was negatively correlated
with rote learning and performance orientation. Both rote learning and approach performance orientation was
negatively correlated with self effi cacy. Moreover, there was a positive relationship between rote learning
and performance orientation. Multiple regression analyses indicated that rote learning and students’ previous
semester science grades were contributed to the students’ achievement.