The Predictors of Academic Motivation of University Students During COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Given the salience of personal and environmental-related factors in young people’s motivation during COVID-19, this study investigated if positive future expectations, social-emotional learning (SEL) skills, and perceived social support were related to university students’ intrinsic and extrinsic academic motivation and amotivation as well as if their academic motivations differed according to gender. Using a convenient sampling method, 805 university students (54% female) participated in the study in the spring semester of 2020-2021, during COVID-19 lockdowns. The results of multiple linear regression showed positive relations of positive future expectations and SEL skills with intrinsic and extrinsic academic motivations and negative relations with amotivation levels of university students. In addition, the results indicated a significant positive relationship between perceived social support and extrinsic motivation, yet no significant relation between intrinsic motivation and amotivation levels. Moreover, female students' intrinsic and extrinsic motivation levels were higher and their amotivation levels were lower than those of male students, with low effect sizes. The findings pointed to theoretical, research, and practical implications, which could be interpreted in a cultural context during COVID-19.

Keywords

• Academic motivation
• Positive future expectations
• Social emotional learning
• Perceived social support
• COVID-19

COVID-19 Sürecinde Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Akademik Motivasyonları Yordayan Değişkenler

Abstract

COVID-19 sürecinde kişisel ve çevresel faktörlerin gençlerin motivasyonları üzerindeki rolleri göz önünde bulundurularak, bu çalışmada olumlu gelecek beklentileri, sosyal-duygusal öğrenme (SDÖ) becerileri ve algılanan sosyal desteğin üniversite öğrencilerinin içsel ve dışsal akademik motivasyonu ve motivasyonsuzluğu ile ilişkili olup olmadığı ve akademik motivasyonlarının cinsiyete göre fark gösterip göstermediği araştırılmıştır. Çalışmaya, 2020-2021 akademik yılının bahar döneminde COVID-19 karantinaları sırasında, uygun örnekleme yöntemi ile ulaşılan 805 üniversite öğrencisi (%54'ü kadın) katılmıştır. Çoklu doğrusal regresyon analizinin sonuçları, olumlu gelecek beklentileri ve SDÖ becerilerinin üniversite öğrencilerinin içsel ve dışsal akademik motivasyonları ile pozitif, motivasyonsuzluk düzeyleri ile negatif yönde ilişkiye sahip olduğunu göstermiştir. Ayrıca sonuçlar, algılanan sosyal desteğin dışsal motivasyon ile pozitif yönde anlamlı bir ilişkiye sahip olduğunu ancak içsel motivasyon ve motivasyonsuzluk ile anlamlı bir ilişkisinin olmadığını göstermiştir. Son olarak, düşük etki büyüklüğü oranları ile kadın öğrencilerin içsel ve dışsal motivasyon düzeyleri erkek öğrencilerden daha yüksek, motivasyonsuzluk düzeyleri ise daha düşük bulunmuştur. Bulgular, COVID-19 sırasında kültürel bağlamda yorumlanabilecek teorik, araştırma ve uygulamaya dair çıkarımlara işaret etmektedir.

Keywords

• Akademik motivasyon
• Olumlu gelecek beklentisi
• Sosyal duygusal öğrenme
• Algılanan sosyal destek
• COVID-19

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