scholarly journals Contrasting Motivational Characteristics of University Students With and Without Study-Abroad Interests: A Profile Analysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Chika Kojima Takahashi

This study investigated motivational profiles of university students’ interests/disinterests in study abroad within the frameworks of self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985) and the L2 Motivational Self System (Dörnyei, 2009). Although much has been investigated regarding study abroad and L2 motivation, it has remained unclear as to what the motivational characteristics are among students who study abroad or who are interested in doing so before taking on the journey. In order to investigate the difference between the two groups, a questionnaire was administered to 77 university students, and the data were analyzed using profile and correlational instruments. The results indicated that those interested in study abroad had significantly high intrinsic motivation and a strong image of their ideal L2 selves. Furthermore, it was a specific and elaborate type of ideal L2 self that correlated highly with intended learning effort regardless of the groups. Based on the results, pedagogical implications are discussed. 本研究では、自己決定理論およびL2セルフシステムの枠組みを使って、留学に興味のある大学生とそうでない大学生の動機づけに関する違いを調査した。留学とL2動機づけに関してはさまざまな研究が存在するが、留学によってL2動機づけがどのように変化するかを調べたものが多く、そもそも留学に興味を示すものとそうでない者との留学前の動機づけ面における特徴を調査した研究が不足している。そこで本研究では、77人の大学生を対象にアンケートを行い、プロフィール分析および相関分析により、その差を調査した。その結果、留学に興味のあるグループは特に内発的動機づけが高く、L2理想自己が強いことが明らかになった。さらに、興味の有無にかかわりなく、L2学習の努力の度合いとの相関が高いのは、具体的なレベルでのL2理想自己であった。このような結果を基に、研究では教育的示唆も論じる。

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 543-578
Author(s):  
Jelena Bobkina ◽  
María-José Gómez-Ortiz ◽  
María Cristina Núñez del Río ◽  
Susana Sastre-Merino

The study explores the motivational profiles of Spanish EFL sports science university students from the second language (L2) motivation self system (L2MSS) perspective to ultimately support Spanish higher institutions´ plans committed to improving employability and competitiveness. The study analyzes the relationships between L2 motivation, L2 proficiency, gender, and L2 contextual variables using data from 196 English as a foreign language (EFL) sports science university students. The data reveal that the ideal L2 self construct stands out as the most salient and powerful factor, while the ought-to and rebellious L2 selves are less significant and there are items loading on both of them at the same time. Thus, higher means for the ideal L2 self motivation correspond to higher levels of L2 proficiency and are supported by L2 learning contextual variables. The strongest ought-to L2 self was registered in students with mid-low L2 proficiency and a lack of L2 learning experiences. Meanwhile, the rebellious L2 self is clearly distinguishable only for students with high L2 proficiency. Pedagogical and curricular implications of these findings are that the ideal and the rebellious L2 selves could positively predict students´ L2 proficiency. Thus, new dynamics of education should explore language teaching methodologies that are more likely to enhance students´ ideal and rebellious L2 selves.


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.


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.


Author(s):  
David Sánchez-Oliva ◽  
Antonio L. Palmeira ◽  
Eliana V. Carraça ◽  
Pedro J. Teixeira ◽  
David Markland ◽  
...  

Background: Using self-determination theory as a framework, the aim of this study was 2-fold: (1) identify different profiles of motivational strategies used by exercise professionals and (2) examine associations of these motivational profiles with work-related variables: measures, perceived job pressures, need satisfaction/frustration, and perceived exercisers’ motivation. Methods: Participants were 366 exercise professionals (193 males; experience = 7.7 [5.8] y) currently working in health and fitness settings. Results: Latent profile analysis identified a 3-profile model: (1) most need-supportive and least controlling (NS+; n = 225), (2) less need-supportive and slightly controlling (NS−; n = 42), and (3) most controlling and slightly need-supportive (mixed; n = 99). Professionals working less than 20 hours per week, more experienced, and female were more likely to integrate NS+, which was also associated with higher levels of work-related need satisfaction and clients’ perceived self-determination, and lower levels of job pressures and need-frustration. Conversely, NS− displayed the most maladaptive pattern of associations. Conclusions: The present findings highlight the importance of analyzing the correlates of different professional profiles, namely to help health and fitness organizations to provide high-quality motivational practices within an appropriate environment both for professionals and clients.


This chapter focuses on the understanding and use of individual differences in statistics cognition. We argue that individual differences can be classified along a continuum ranging from within an individual (internally derived) to an outside source (externally prescribed), and that where an individual differences falls on the continuum may have important implications for how individual differences are used to describe, control for, predict, or explain findings in scholarly research. We argue that individual differences are more useful when they meaningfully pertain to cognitive development, and outline how motivation (using goal orientation and self-determination theory) can be used as an individual difference. We conclude with a discussion of aligning motivational goals and how online courses could adapt themselves to student motivational profiles.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Levesque-Côté ◽  
Claude Fernet ◽  
Alexandre J.S. Morin ◽  
Stéphanie Austin

PurposeAlthough one of the central premises of authentic leadership theory is that authentic leaders mobilize their followers, the underlying motivational mechanisms of this process remain poorly understood. Drawing on self-determination theory, this study aims to fill that gap by examining authentic leadership practices (ALP) as theoretical antecedents of employees' motivation profiles.Design/methodology/approachLatent profile analyses conducted on a sample of 501 employees revealed four profiles: self-determined, unmotivated, highly motivated and moderately motivated.FindingsALP were associated with a higher likelihood of membership into the most adaptive motivation profiles. Employees in these profiles displayed more optimal job functioning: higher organizational commitment and performance, and lower intentions to leave their organization.Originality/valueThese findings underscore the predictive power of autonomous motivation for employee functioning and provide new insights into how ALP can improve work motivation, and hence job functioning. Our results account not only for how ALP affects the complete range of behavioral regulations at work but also the different patterns in which these regulations combine within employees.


2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 583-608
Author(s):  
Csaba Kálmán ◽  
Esther Gutierrez Eugenio

Attribution theory (Weiner, 1985) and self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985) have been explored as contributors to L2 motivation (cf. Dörnyei, 2001) but have never been studied quantitatively in concert. In addition, students’ attributions for success in learning a foreign language have never been measured through the use of a questionnaire. The aim of this paper is therefore (a) to develop a questionnaire with reliable constructs that allows to measure adult learners’ attributions for their success in learning English in a corporate setting, (b) to investigate these learners’ attributions, and (c) to investigate the relationship between students’ attributions and the constructs of Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivation central to self-determination theory. Our main results show that among the attributions measured, interest, effort and corporate culture seemed to be the main causes that students recognised as directly involved in their success in learning English. Of all the attributional scales, interest and ability appeared to importantly contribute to intrinsic motivation, while corporate culture, encounters with foreign professionals and ability contributed to a lower extent to extrinsic motivation. It must be noted, however, that attributions for success to teacher and task were so consistently high that they could not be reliably measured with the questionnaire.


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