Prisoners’ academic motivation, viewed from the perspective of self-determination theory: Evidence from a population of Norwegian prisoners

The study presented in this article explores prisoners’ academic motivation structure from the theoretical perspective of self-determination theory, using the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS). Analysing survey responses from 529 (29 female, 500 male) prisoners with Norwegian citizenship who participated in education while being incarcerated, the authors investigate how prison students’ motivation might be “reduced” or summarised using a smaller set of factors or components than extant studies. A confirmatory factor analysis suggested that a five-factor model, including intrinsic motivation, three types of extrinsic motivation (namely identified regulation, introjected regulation, and external regulation) and amotivation, yielded the best fit with the data provided by the prisoners. An alternative three-factor model created by collapsing the three extrinsic dimensions into a single dimension was found to fit the data poorly. The structural model revealed that younger prisoners displayed more controlled academic motivations than older ones, who displayed more autonomous motivations. Contrary to the authors’ expectations, prisoners with a higher level of education did not display more autonomous academic motivations than those with a lower level.

The relationships among prospective teachers’ teacher efficacy with their levels of academic motivation, academic procrastination, and anxiety about the Public Personnel Selection Examination (PPSE)

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships among the prospective teachers’ teacher efficacy and their level of academic motivation, anxiety of PPSE academic procrastination levels. The research was designed as correlational survey method. The sample of the research was composed of 187 prospective teachers. According to the results of the study, there was a low and positive correlation between teacher efficacy and academic procrastination behaviors and also moderate and positive correlation with academic motivation levels of the prospective teachers. In addition, teacher candidates' academic procrastination behaviors, academic motivations and PPSE concerns explained 22% of the teacher efficacy of candidates.

Mối liên hệ giữa sự thỏa mãn các nhu cầu tâm lý cơ bản, động lực học tập, và trì hoãn học tập ở sinh viên [The relationships between the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, academic motivation, and academic procrastination among students]

Nghiên cứu được tiến hành dựa trên lý thuyết tự quyết nhằm tìm hiểu về mối liên hệ giữa sự thỏa mãn các nhu cầu tâm lý cơ bản, động lực học tập, và trì hoãn trong học tập ở sinh viên. Mẫu nghiên cứu là mẫu thuận tiện với 341 sinh viên có độ tuổi trong khoảng từ 19 đến 26. Trong đó, nam chiếm 11.7% và nữ chiếm 88.3%. Mức độ thỏa mãn các nhu cầu tâm lý cơ bản, các loại động lực học tập, và mức độ trì hoãn trong học tập được đo lường bởi các thang đo. Kết quả phân tích tương quan cho thấy trì hoãn trong học tập có tương quan nghịch chiều với các loại động lực học tập tự chủ và mức độ thỏa mãn các nhu cầu tâm lý cơ bản. Phân tích đường dẫn cho thấy sự thỏa mãn nhu cầu gắn kết và nhu cầu tự chủ góp phần làm tăng sự thỏa mãn nhu cầu năng lực, qua đó làm giảm tình trạng thiếu động lực học tập đồng thời làm tăng động lực hướng đến thành tựu, và dẫn tới mức độ trì hoãn học tập thấp hơn. Các kết quả nghiên cứu ửng hộ giả thuyết của lý thuyết tự quyết về vai trò của việc đáp ứng các nhu cầu tâm lý cơ bản nhằm thúc đẩy động lực bên trong. [The study was conducted based on the self-determination theory to examine the relationships between the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, academic motivation, and academic procrastination among students. The sample was a convenient ?one with 341 students aged between 19 and 26. In particular, males accounted for 11.7% and females accounted for 88.3%. The level of satisfaction of basic psychological needs, the types of academic motivation, and the level of academic procrastination were measured by several scales. The results of correlation analysis showed that the academic procrastination was negatively correlated with autonomous academic motivations and the level of the satisfaction of basic psychological needs. Path analysis showed that the satisfaction of relatedness and autonomy needs contributed to the satisfaction of competence need, thereby reducing amotivation and increasing intrinsic motivation towards achievement which lead to lower levels of academic procrastination. The findings supported the hypothesis of self-determination theory about the role of meeting basic psychological needs in order to promote intrinsic motivation.]

Investigating the Academic Motivations of NCAA Gymnasts In and Out of Season

As National Collegiate Athletic Association athlete exploitation has become a growing concern (Grasgreen, 2011), it has become increasingly more important to examine the nature of how athletes are spending their time. The purpose of this study was to examine whether motivations change when Division I athletes are in season compared to out of season. A survey was distributed to Division I women’s gymnastics teams from the Mid-American Conference (MAC). Results were assessed based on the factors of academic motivation and their differences during the varying times of the academic year.In this study, individuals from five MAC schools participated. It was concluded that, while academic motivations in season and out of season differed, there was not one season that was more academically demanding than the other. Participants reported feeling busier when in season, although being busy was not found to concretely impact their academics in negative ways. Participants were found to be motivated year-round by their own high expectations and wanting to decrease stress but were more motivated when in season to get ahead on academics to avoid having to focus on academics while traveling to away competitions.

Investigation of the Academic Motivations of the Students Studying Through Distance Education System in Terms of Some Variables / a Case Study of Sakarya University

Motivation is one of the important elements for the sustainability of a behaviour. One condition of learning is that it leaves a permanent mark. One of the main references that will ensure this permanence in distance education is the academic performance of individuals. In this research, the students' academic motivations regarding online courses (virtual classes), who study through distance education system in some departments of Sakarya University were examined according to some variables, and the reasons for the low attendance rates in online courses (virtual classes) were investigated. The universe of the research consisted of students who studied at Sakarya University through distance education system while the study sample consisted of 660 students selected by random sampling method. Questionnaires and scales were delivered to the sample group via email. In the research, the "Academic Motivation Scale", adapted to Turkey by Karagüven (2012) and the questionnaire prepared by the researchers, asking about some demographic data were used, and the data obtained were analyzed with SPSS software. In this context, the results obtained from the research are as follows: It was observed that there was a significant difference between the lower dimensions of academic motivation levels and the gender, age, marital and employment status variables of the students who continued their education through online courses by distance education method at Sakarya University. It was found that there were no significant differences between some sub-dimensions of academic motivation and variables. At the end of the study, recommendations for gender, age, marital status and employment status were developed.

Academic Motivations of Pregrade Students in the Choice of International Business Career

The main objective of this research is to determine which is the most recurrent motivation by university students choose international business careers at 8 universities in Peru. The study sample is composed by 1242 international business students from the main universities in Peru. For this study, the Academic Motivation Scale (AMC) was used, this scale considers intrinsic motivation factors (knowledge, achievement, stimulating experiences), extrinsic motivation (identified regulation, introjected regulation, external introjected) and amotivation.As a result, the research shows that the students wanted to achieve their goals (84%), because it is aligned to their dreams (83%), also that they want to show to other people that they are capable to generate business opportunities (81%). On the other hand, the main demotivations were the fact that they don’t care and just want to finish the career (10%), they didn’t know which career choose (13%) and they didn’t know the reason why they choose this career (15%).It is concludes that the factors of academic motivations (motivation, extrinsic motivations and intrinsic motivations) are positively related to the choice of the international business career. Where the most significant relationship is that between extrinsic motivation with external regulation and the choice of the international commercial career, to achieve its objectives such as giving a more positive image to family and friends. While the least significant relationship is that between the intrinsic motivation for stimulating experiences and the choice of an international business career.