| Summary: | It appears from the results of the Natal Senior Certificate examination
over the past number of years, that English speaking pupils perform
better academically than Afrikaans speaking pupils. It seems as if the
influence of different variables on the academic achievement of the
pupils could be responsible. With this study research was done regarding the influence of particular variables on the academic achievement
of matriculants in Natal.
During the second half of 1990, 990 matric pupils from three types of
secondary schools in Natal (Afrikaans, English and parallel medium)
were subjected to a set of tests and questionnaires. A Biographical
questionnaire; the LASSI - Learning and Study Strategies Inventory and
a questionnaire on Selfregulated Learning (SRQ) were completed by all
990 matriculants. The LASSI (Annexure A) was developed to measure pupils use of study methods and learning strategies. The Selfregulated
Learning Questionnaire was developed as a group test to gather information on pupils selfregulated learning strategies.
with these instruments 20 independent variables were identified. The
influence of these independent variables on the academic achievement of
the pupils was then tested in an empirical research. Mathematics,
Physical Science, Biology and Accountancy were used as the dependent
variables in the research.
With this research it was established that
* particular variables have a greater influence on the academic
achievement of matriculants in Natal than other variables
* the academic achievement of Afrikaans and English pupils are
influenced by different variables
* the academic achievement of boys and girls are influenced by
different variables.
It appears further from the results of the research that certain selfregulated learning strategies, such as information acquisition and
processing and selfevaluation, influence academic achievement. A
further finding from the research shows that components of metacognition such as planning, monitoring and evaluating as well as learning
strategies such as time management, selecting main ideas and coping
with fear, partly influence the academic achievement of matriculants
in Natal.
Unfortunately it could not be determined whether English speaking
pupils are better users of these variables than the Afrikaans speaking
pupils. Further research is therefore necessary to determine how selfregulated learning, metacognition and learning strategies influence
differently the academic achievement of English speaking and Afrikaans
speaking pupils. === Skripsie (MEd)--PU vir CHO, 1994
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