This programmatic series of three studies compares, in British and Hungarian secondary schools, two contrasting conceptualizations of motivation and successively relates them to approaches to learning and studying and then to indices of self-concept and attributions of success and failure. The first conceptualization was developed in Hungary and involves three domains of school motivation: (1) affective; (2) cognitive; and (3) moral. The first study explored the factor structure in the two countries of an inventory designed to operationalize this first set of concepts. The second conceptualization focused on intrinsic, extrinsic and achievement factors as well as fear of failure. In research at the university level, these forms of motivation have been found to relate to qualitative differences in approaches to learning and studying. The second study used an extended inventory to investigate the interrelationships between the two conceptualizations of motivation and approaches to learning and studying. Finally, an instrument was developed to assess students' attributions of success and failure and the feelings associated with those attributions. Factor analysis indicated identical factor structures in all of the instruments developed for the two countries. The analyses enabled a more complete mapping of the components of school motivation to be achieved. Eleven tables are included. (Author/TJH)