scholarly journals Factors affecting the motivation of Chemistry university students

Author(s):  
Johanna Havia

As a part of this research, a survey and four student interviews were done on the motivation of chemistry students of University of Oulu. The aim was to find out the formation of motivation, and seek factors that affect the students’ motivation to study chemistry. The survey measured the inner motivation, outer motivation and lack of motivation based on self-determination theory. The most common aspect of motivation among the students was the inner motivation to learn more about chemistry. Among the common aspects were also the aspects of outer motivation: outside regulation and benefit. By interviewing four of the students, a deeper understanding of the factors behind motivation was sought. Among the positive factors were the parallel lectures and laboratory practices, and including recent research results into teaching. The significance of laboratory practice was the most evident factor. Among the factors reducing motivation were problems with group formation, unclear issues and lectures where everything was readily given. By paying attention to group formation, motivation to study could be increased relatively easily.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian H. Müller ◽  
Almut E. Thomas ◽  
Matteo Carmignola ◽  
Ann-Kathrin Dittrich ◽  
Alexander Eckes ◽  
...  

Self-determination theory assumes that the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are associated with motivational regulation. As these basic psychological needs may have been affected by the shift to distance learning, students’ motivational regulation and vitality may have suffered as well. The purpose of this study was to examine the motivational regulation, satisfaction, or frustration of the basic psychological needs and vitality of university students before and after the transition to forced distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: Two student samples from Austria and Germany were studied: One was surveyed before the conversion to distance learning (N=1,139) and the other at the beginning of forced distance learning (N=1,835). The instruments used were the Scales for the Measurement of Motivational Regulation for Learning in University Students (SMR-L), the German version of the Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Frustration Scale, a scale developed by the authors to differentiate the assessment of social relatedness, and the German version of the Subjective Vitality Scale. The results show that the satisfaction of basic psychological needs was significantly lower and the frustration thereof substantially higher during the distance learning period than before the pandemic. Intrinsic motivation and identified regulation were significantly lower during the forced distance learning period, and more controlled forms of motivation were higher than before the pandemic. Structural equation models showed that 42% of the students’ vitality can be explained by motivational regulation and the satisfaction and frustration of their basic needs. Motivational regulation styles functioned (differentiated according to the degree of autonomy) as mediating variables between basic needs and vitality. In terms of theoretical implications, the distinction between approach and avoidance components of introjected regulation was shown to be adequate and necessary, as they explain the outcome vitality differently. The support and avoidance of frustration of basic psychological needs should be considered in distance learning to promote the quality of motivation and students’ vitality.


2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Wei-Tsong Wang ◽  
Wei-Ming Ou ◽  
Wei-Chi Chiu

Studies that specifically discuss the formation of autonomous motivations of users of social networking services (SNSs) and how such motivation influences SNS user intention to disclose personal location-related information (PLRI) are absent from the literature. Consequently, this study, based on the self-determination theory and the information system success (ISS) model, investigates the relationships among key system-related quality factors, SNS users’ autonomous motivations and user satisfaction regarding an SNS, and their intentions to disclose PLRI. Survey data collected from 514 students at six universities were analyzed to validate our research model. Research results show that three system-related quality factors have different influences on user satisfaction and autonomous motivation, while both autonomous motivation and user satisfaction are significant antecedents of user intention to disclose PLRI. The research results have extended the application and advanced the understanding of ISS model and self-determination theory in the context of SNS.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 400-414
Author(s):  
Calvin KC Lee ◽  
Bo-Wah Leung

In this study, we investigated the factors affecting the motivation of studio-based instrumental learners in Hong Kong. We interviewed a total of 13 participants who learnt the violin and/or the piano. We analyzed the interview data by selective coding accordingly to the three basic needs in the conceptual framework of Basic Psychology Needs Theory, which is one of the mini-theories from Self-Determination Theory. The thematization of basic needs are (1) autonomy, (2) relatedness, and (3) competency. We found relatedness and competence were more related to our participants. This study contributes to the understanding of studio-based, learning-environment characteristics as well as specific motivation factors attributed to the distinctions between the violin and the piano learning environments in Hong Kong. We also discussed the issues of music learning in school and teacher's style of teaching practice.


Author(s):  
Ivana Rubic ◽  
Dora Matijević

Motivation is considered one of the central elements contributing to the success of language learning. It has been found that teachers’ motivating style has substantive impact on student learning motivation and academic achievement. Hence, in the recent research, much attention has been devoted to conceptualization of motivation and identifying factors affecting learning motivation, as well as ways in which teachers may best develop students’ motivational capacity. ESP students are commonly extrinsically motivated and extrinsic motivation is often associated with lower quality performance. Self-determination theory (SDT) offers a broadened conceptualization of extrinsic motivation, suggesting that in an environment responsive to students’ psychological needs it represents a valuable resource which fosters high-quality learning. Such developments in the research on motivation have prompted a shift in approach to language learning motivation. Drawing from SDT, this paper aims to describe how certain aspects of the learning environment may support as well as undermine ESP motivation, and to provide direction for effective ESP classroom practice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 27-35
Author(s):  
Zsuzsanna Vitai ◽  
Mariann Benke

THE AIM OF THE PAPER We used self-determination theory to examine the motivation of business school students in Hungary. The research aimed to clarify whether extrinsic or intrinsic motivation or both dominates learning intentions among these students. Although student motivation to learn has been studying extensively, there is an absence of research evidence using this framework in Central-Eastern European higher education. Given the increasing prominence of the region in global geo-political and business affairs, this absence of understanding is important to correct. METHODOLOGY Our questionnaire-based study shows a strong link between some forms of extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation, along with evidence for the coexistence of extrinsic and intrinsic motivators in the same person. We used a modified version of Vallerand et al. (1992-1993) motivation-survey the “Academic Motivation Scale AMSC-28”. We added 11 plus questions to the questionnaire. The empirical research was a confirmative study about self-determination theory. The methodology used was descriptive statistics, correspondence, and correlation analysis. The size of the sample was 471. The purpose of our study was to check if the theory of Deci and Ryan are valid on the students of a university in Central Europe. MOST IMPORTANT RESULTS The purpose of our study was to check how the theory of Deci and Ryan applies to the students of a university in Central Europe. The results of the research highlight that the students could have both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation at the same time and intrinsic motivation is not the only type of motivation that could lead to good performance in learning and other activities.   RECOMMENDATIONS The findings could help to evaluate currently used motivational strategies for students and to stimulate further research on the subject usinűg the framework of self-determination theory. Acknowlwdgements: The authors would like to thank Professor John Schermerhorn and Professor Gábor Rappai for their valuable comments and critique in writing this article. With the support of the EFOP-3.6.3-VEKOP-16-2017-00007 project.


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