Relations between young students' strategic behaviours, domain-specific self-concept, and performance in a problem-solving situation

This study aimed at investigating the relations between students' strategic behaviour during problem solving, task performance and domain-specific self-concept. A total of 167 first- and second-graders were individually examined in tasks involving cubes assembly and in academic self-concept in mathematics. Students' cognitive, metacognitive, and Motivational/Volitional Strategic Behaviours were video-recorded and rated by two independent observers. Structural equation modelling showed that the cognitive and Metacognitive Strategic Behaviours were explained by a cognitive self-regulation factor which correlated with the Motivational/Volitional Strategic Behaviour factor. The importance of the cognitive self-regulation factor for task performance and the association of domain-specific self-concept with Motivational/Volitional Strategic Behaviour were shown.