Previous research has suggested that extrinsic rewards operate to decrease intrinsic motivation to perform a task when they are offered for an initially intrinsically motivating task and then removed. To determine the initial intrinsic motivation of studying, 170 Canadian community college students were divided into one control and four treatment groups: announced and unannounced rewards, and skill or chance directions. Data from questionnaires measuring locus of control, learning motivation, meaning and value of work, and teacher and course evaluations were analyzed. The results indicated that intrinsic motivation and locus of control were related but not sufficiently to predict academic achievement. Although the predictor variable (meaning of work) failed to achieve significance, the findings suggest that future research on students' meanings of work in predicting academic performance seems promising. (Author/JAC)