Abstract
<p>This study examined the impact of a study skills program utilizing daily journal writing and weekly peer-group discussions to facilitate the acquisition of effective learning strategies and to enhance perceptions of self-efficacy. A quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest, control group study with random assignment utilizing a 2 X 2 factorial design was conducted. Instructional method with two levels (Study Skills Program Participation and Non-Participation) and students’ grade point average with two levels (High GPA and Low GPA) were the independent variables. Posttest measures for perceptions of self-efficacy and self-regulated learning strategies use were the dependent variables with pretest measures used as covariates. The sample consisted of sixth grade students (n = 83) from a suburban, northeastern, public middle school. The Self-Efficacy and Self-Regulated Learning Strategies subtests of the <em>Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire </em>(MSLQ), Middle School Level, were administered as pretests and posttests to measure potential benefits of study skills instruction; two-way ANCOVAs (<em>p </em>= < .05) were conducted to analyze the data collected for each of the two dependent variables. Data analysis revealed that for self-efficacy there was a significant main effect for group where the treatment group showed significant growth over the control group; as well as a significant interaction where the low GPA students in the treatment group showed significant growth over each of the other three cells. No significance effect was measured for the dependent variable of self-regulated learning strategies use.</p>
