The purpose of this study was to examine motivational patterns in urban African-American middle school students. In addition, the relationship between stressful life experiences, motivational patterns, study behaviors, and academic achievement was investigated. The expectancy-value model of achievement motivation was utilized in an attempt to characterize motivational factors that influenced students' academic performance and use of study strategies and self-regulatory behaviors. It was found that students, despite having experienced a number of stressful life events, earned higher course grades and reported using more study strategies and self-regulatory behaviors when they adopted appropriate motivational beliefs. Although strategy use was not found to be a significant predictor of educational resiliency, self-regulatory behaviors were significant predictors of educational outcome after controlling for the effects of stressful life events. In particular, persistence was a strong predictor of each academic outcome. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings were discussed
