The Influence of Task Value on Academic Achievement: The Mediating Role of Metacognitive Regulation among Vocational Education

Abstract

Vocational education equips students with essential skills and knowledge to succeed in the labor market. This study examines how task value, cost perception, and self-regulation affect academic achievement in vocational education. Using data from 142 students, we explored the relationship between motivation and academic achievement. Our findings reveal that cost perception and maladaptive regulation are significantly negatively associated with academic achievement, while task value, metacognitive strategies, and maladaptive regulation positively influence learning satisfaction. Through multivariate covariance analysis, we identified notable differences in self-regulation strategies and academic achievement among groups classified by task value and perceived cost. Further hierarchical regression and mediation analyses demonstrated that metacognitive strategies fully mediate the relationship between task value and academic achievement. This study underscores the importance of increasing the task value within vocational education curricula and improving students’ metacognitive regulation skills to boost academic performance.