Self-regulation learning is the process of monitoring, controlling and reflecting on one s own learning according to the degree which students act at a cognitive, motivational and behavioral level in this context. Some research investigating the strategies observed in students in the context of learning has shown that, rather than helping them, they have a high potential for harm, the so-called self handicapping strategies. Using Jones and Berglas as the main theoretical reference for this construct, the present research articulates this construct with Weiner s attribution of causality, with the aim of providing a theoretical framework for investigating the adoption of self handicapping learning strategies by first-year high school students and the attribution of school performance. For that, the Self Handicapping Strategies Scale for university students, which was adapted for secondary school in this research, and a semi-structured interview protocol of my own authorship were used as instruments. Using the total scores observed in the sample (n=58), three students with the lowest scores and three with the highest scores were selected to take part in individual interviews, totaling six interviewees. The quantitative results showed that students identified more with self handicapping strategies such as inadequate preparation before assessments and poor time management. The qualitative results showed that, for the lowest performance, it was possible to observe that the causal attributions were mostly from an unstable, non-controllable and external locus. For the highest performers, the majority of causal attributions were internal, stable and controllable. Through the interviews, different justifications mobilized by the students to justify their performance were reported, such as the lecturing style of the teachers, the learning style, the characteristics of the subjects, the relationship between them and the teachers, affinity for the subject, the appreciation of the area of knowledge by the family and the low ability to organize study and manage time. In this way, this research can contribute to an understanding of different causal attributions made by high school students and to a critical look at the relationship between learning and other factors such as cognition, metacognition, interpersonal relationships and emotions.