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Psychological-Educational Studies
2026. Vol. 18, no. 1, 36–51
doi:10.17759/psyedu.202610102
ISSN: 2587-6139 (online)

The relation between self-regulation of behavior and internal motivation of learning activities in the second phase of primary school age

 
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Abstract

Context and relevance. The regulatory and personal characteristics of students represent psychological resources for achieving learning goals. Basics of self-regulation of behavior and autonomous regulation of learning activities are found in primary school age, but their ratio is not well studied. Objective. Correlation of indicators of self-regulation of behavior and autonomous regulation of educational activity in the second phase of primary school age. Hypothesis. The components of the structure of self-regulation of children's behavior are related to internal motivation as the basis for autonomous regulation of learning activities. At the border of primary school age and adolescence, there is a qualitative restructuring of the character of the links between self-regulation of behavior and educational motivation. Methods and materials. The study involved 179 children: 87 third-grade students (M = 9,02, SD = 0,45, 44,8% girls) and 92 fourth-grade students (M = 10,05, SD = 0,63, 47,8% girls) of Moscow schools. Self-regulation of behavior was assessed using the SSPD-M1 method by V.I. Morosanova, motivation and autonomous regulation of educational activity – using the SRQ-A questionnaire by T.O. Gordeeva, O.A. Sychev, M.F. Lynch. Results. It is shown that components of behavior self-regulation are associated with intrinsic motivation (cognitive and self-development) and identified motivation, reflecting the personal importance of learning. In the 4th grade, a significantly greater number of connections are formed between the components of self-regulation of behavior and learning motives compared to the 3rd grade. Conclusions. The development of internal motivation in the framework of educational activities is important not only for the development of the motivational-need sphere of younger schoolchildren, but also for the development of self-regulation of their behavior. These psychological and pedagogical tasks are especially relevant at the end of primary school education.

General Information

Keywords: self-regulation of behavior, autonomous regulation of learning activities, learning motivation, intrinsic motivation, primary school age

Journal rubric: Psychology of Education

Article type: scientific article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/psyedu.202610102

Received 09.07.2025

Revised 24.10.2025

Accepted

Published

For citation: Kulagina, I.Y., Apasova, E.V. (2026). The relation between self-regulation of behavior and internal motivation of learning activities in the second phase of primary school age. Psychological-Educational Studies, 18(1), 36–51. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.17759/psyedu.202610102

© Kulagina I.Y., Apasova E.V., 2026

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

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Information About the Authors

Irina Y. Kulagina, Candidate of Science (Psychology), Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russian Federation, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3095-4329, e-mail: kulaginaiu@mgppu.ru

Ekaterina V. Apasova, Candidate of Science (Psychology), Associate Professor, Chair of General and Special Pedagogy, Department of Psychological, Pedagogical and Special Education, Moscow University of Psychology and Social Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3902-0768, e-mail: aev3aev@mail.ru

Contribution of the authors

All The authors contributed equally to the research, data analysis, and preparation of this manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Ethics statement

The collection of empirical data was carried out anonymously. Written informed consent to participate in this study was provided by the close relatives of the younger schoolchildren.

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