A structural model of students' appraisals about their own learning strategies and the effects of these strategies on their school scores is presented. Self-reports of 229 new first-year-students of a public university were analized using a structural equations method. Participants responded to a learning-style questionnaire, and their final first semester course scores were also recorded. The measurement model confirmed the existence of acquisition, memory resources managing, and information processing strategies, very much alike those proposed by Castañeda (1995). Since the model explained only the 7% of the school achievement, the modeling of the dependent latent variable, conformed by a set of observed variables, is stressed and debated.

Se presenta un modelo estructural de las valoraciones de 229 estudiantes acerca de sus estrate-gias de aprendizaje y el efecto en sus calificaciones escolares. Se realizó un análisis de ecuaciones estructurales que utilizó las respuestas a un inventario de estilos de aprendizaje y las calificaciones escolares del primer semestre. El modelo confirmó la presencia de estrategias de adquisición. de administración de recursos de memoria y de procesamiento de información, similar a lo propuesto por Castañeda (1995). Dado que el modelo explicó sólo 7% del aprove-chamiento escolar, se discute la necesidad de modelar la variable dependiente como una varia-ble latente conformada por un conjunto de indicadores que den cuenta cabal del logro escolar.

A structural model of students' appraisals about their own learning strategies and the effects of these strategies on their school scores is presented. Self-reports of 229 new first-year-students of a public university were analized using a structural equations method. Participants responded to a learning-style questionnaire, and their final first semester course scores were also recorded. The measurement model confirmed the existence of acquisition, memory resources managing, and information processing strategies, very much alike those proposed by Castañeda (1995). Since the model explained only the 7% of the school achievement, the modeling of the dependent latent variable, conformed by a set of observed variables, is stressed and debated.

The aim of this study was to test a multifactor structure for in-line-evaluation of motivation on specific tasks in u ni versity students. Results showed that the initial motivation explained 12% of the variance of total punctuation of the methodology test and test execution explained 17% of the ending motivation. Therefore, in-line-evaluation model allows instructional prescription to students needs in order to facilitate their leaming and academic success.

El objetivo del trabajo fue someter a prueba una estructura multifactorial de la evaluación en línea de la motivación sobre la realización de una tarea académica específica en estudiantes de licenciatura. Los resultados indican que la motivación con la que inician la tarea explica el 12% de la varianza de la puntuación total obtenida en la prueba de metodología y ésta a su vez, explica el 17% de la varianza del nivel de motivación posterior a la ejecución. El modelo de evaluación en línea desarrollado permitirá la prescripción instruccional a la medida de las necesidades del alumno con el propósito de facilitar el aprendizaje y favorecer el éxito académico.

The aim of this study was to test a multifactor structure for in-line-evaluation of motivation on specific tasks in u ni versity students. Results showed that the initial motivation explained 12% of the variance of total punctuation of the methodology test and test execution explained 17% of the ending motivation. Therefore, in-line-evaluation model allows instructional prescription to students needs in order to facilitate their leaming and academic success.

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The construct validity of six hypothesized dimensions was explored for an Accountancy majorgraduation examination, in order to understand the underlying process of responding. Using answers from 313 examinees to an intentional sample of 17 objective items administered on large scale, a confirmatory factorial analysis was carried out, with a Multi-Trait Multi-Method matrix (MTMM): Traits represented three cognitive operations required to solve the items and the methods represented three knowledge fields of the content. Each item was linked to a cog- nitive operation and to a knowledge field. The resulting model showed convergent validity in two constructs and its manifest variables and divergent only between technical and combined knowledge. Thus, the answering process was explained, simultaneously by the Understanding operation influenced by Theoretical knowledge. Implications to...

The construct validity of six hypothesized dimensions was explored for an Accountancy majorgraduation examination, in order to understand the underlying process of responding. Using answers from 313 examinees to an intentional sample of 17 objective items administered on large scale, a confirmatory factorial analysis was carried out, with a Multi-Trait Multi-Method matrix (MTMM): Traits represented three cognitive operations required to solve the items and the methods represented three knowledge fields of the content. Each item was linked to a cog- nitive operation and to a knowledge field. The resulting model showed convergent validity in two constructs and its manifest variables and divergent only between technical and combined knowledge. Thus, the answering process was explained, simultaneously by the Understanding operation influenced by Theoretical knowledge. Implications to...