ABSTRACT
Children's personal achievement is an outcome of their participation in learning and motivation to learn, which are connected to their feelings about school. This chapter covers each area, beginning with an examination of children's intrinsic motivation. It takes stage-environment fit theory as a starting point for understanding changes in children's academic behaviour at school transition. It is underpinned by the idea that moving schools alters the conditions in which children seek to fulfil their needs for identity, self-esteem, autonomy, competence and social support, which in turn influences their motivation, engagement and achievement. The mental strategies that children use to engage in a task are referred to as cognitive engagement. These include learning strategies, controlling effort and monitoring and evaluating progress. Behavioural engagement draws on the idea of participation; it includes involvement in academic and social or extracurricular activities and is considered crucial for achieving positive academic outcomes and preventing dropping out.
