Developing a Motivation Scale for Engineering Studies in a Francophone Context

Based on self-determination theory, this research presents the development of a scale to assess motivation for engineering studies in a Francophone context. Three phases of data collection were conducted (N = 462, 545 and 864) for a total of 1871 engineering students (59.2% female). Results from both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses support a seven-factor structure for the scale: 1) intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivations characterised by 2) identified regulation – altruism, 3) introjected regulation – ego, 4) introjected regulation – conscience, 5) external regulation – security, 6) external regulation – social prestige and, finally, 7) amotivation. The dimensions of altruism and security are specific to engineering studies. The scale meets generally accepted criteria for reliability and verifies different types of validity evidence.

Self-Determination Theory: Statistical Correlations Between Motivational Regulations and Basic Psychological Needs

Self-determination theory has been predominantly used as a psychological framework to describe human motivation. It classifies three types of motivation with various forms of regulations, ranging from amotivation, extrinsic motivation (i.e., extrinsic regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation, and integrated regulation), to intrinsic motivation. In addition, it points out three basic psychological needs (i.e., autonomy, relatedness, competence) which are essential components to enhance the process of internalisation, meaning motivations driven by identified, integrated and intrinsic regulations. This study aims to provide statistical evidence of statistical correlations among these factors and regulations. To achieve this, an online questionnaire with 9 close-ended statements based on 5-Likert scale was distributed to high-school students and school leavers in Thailand. A total of 206 responses were received. Overall, a correlational analysis showed a positive correlation between internalisation and the basic psychological needs (r = 0.4). Furthermore, there was a moderate positive correlation between integrated correlation and intrinsic motivation (r = 0.6) which support the described theoretical framework. In addition, there was a moderate positive correlation between autonomy and competence (r = 0.6) in the perspective of psychological needs. However, the statistical evidence shows a moderate relationship between identified regulation and external regulation (r = 0.6) which adds an insightful finding to our current understanding. It is suggested that in order to increase the level of internalisation, it is essential to provide a learning environment where students can feel the sense of success (competence), constructive relationship with others (relatedness), and a fair degree of self-regulated learning (autonomy).

Interaction Effects of Level and Instability of Motivation on Learning Strategies: Introjected and Identified Regulation

This study examined the interaction effect of the level and instability of motivation on different learning strategies in university learning at the contextual level. Two motivation levels—introjected and identified regulation—and three types of learning strategies—metacognitive, writing-repetition, and deep-processing—were measured. Self-reported questionnaires were administered to students from two universities in Japan; data of 307 students were included in the analysis. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis on metacognitive and deep-processing strategies revealed an interaction effect of identified regulation and instability of motivation. The results of a simple slope analysis showed that identified regulation had no effect on metacognitive and deep-processing strategies during high instability of motivation. However, during low instability of motivation, higher identified regulation enabled greater use of metacognitive and deep-processing strategies. On the other hand, there was no an interaction effect of level and instability of motivation on writing-repetition strategies. These results revealed the significant role of the level and instability of motivation in the application of metacognitive and deep-processing strategies.

Sport Motivation of Paralympic Athletes after Injury

Motivation for performing sport is complex because most athletes have multiple motivations, including extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Understanding the motivation dynamics of athletes, especially after a sports injury, is crucial because the injury may have a detrimental effect on the athlete's psychosocial conditions. This study figured out the motivation level of Paralympic athletics athletes after injury. A total of 44 Paralympic athletes were involved in the survey. The Sports Motivation Scale (SMS) was used to identify the level of athlete motivation. The SMS was developed within the Self Determination Theory (SDT) framework to assess various forms of motivation, namely amotivation, external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation, integrated regulation, and intrinsic motivation. This study found that out of 44 Paralympic athletics athletes after an injury, 5 (4.55%) of the athletes reported high levels of amotivation, and 15 (34.09%) of the athletes were identified in the moderate level of amotivation. This finding indicates that injury does not impact amotivation, as the athletes exhibit a high level of extrinsic motivation (external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation, integrated regulation) and intrinsic motivation. Based on these motivation profiles, the Paralympic coaches should adjust their approach in motivating the Paralympic athletes to return to their training and competitions after injury.

Change in Learning Motivation Observed through the Introduction of Design Thinking in a Mobile Application Programming Course

Traditional teacher-centered teaching focused on classroom lectures has met numerous challenges in recent years, which has motivated teachers to make use of design thinking for their classes. This study made use of design thinking in an iOS programming course to find ways to improve the students’ critical thinking, learning motivation and solve practical issues through mobile APP development. In the program, students were required to answer situational motivation questionnaires before and after design thinking is implemented in the course. Results showed that the values of the Cronbach’s Alpha for the initial course expectation in both iterations were reliable. Subsequently, when students feel that the solutions are recognized and supported by other students and teachers in the course, there is an upward trend in the curves of their external regulation, identified regulation, and intrinsic motivation. This study successfully designed the course content and evaluation methods that have shown significant increase in the students’ motivation through the incorporation of design thinking in the mobile application programming course.

Motivational Determinants of Physical Activity in Disadvantaged Populations with (Pre)Diabetes: A Cross-Cultural Comparison

BackgroundUnderstanding motivational determinants of physical activity (PA) is essential to guide the implementation of PA at individual and population level. Knowledge about the cross-cultural generalizability of these determinants is lacking and they have mostly been studied as separate factors. This study compares a motivational process model across samples from diverse populations with, or at risk of diabetes. MethodsMeasurement invariance of barrier identified regulation, barrier self-efficacy and social support was assessed in a rural Ugandan sample (n=712) and disadvantaged samples with high proportions of immigrants in urban South Africa (n=566) and Sweden (n=147). These motivational determinants were then compared through multigroup structural equation modeling.ResultsThe studied motivational constructs showed scalar invariance. Latent mean levels of perceived social support and barrier self-efficacy were lower in South Africa and Sweden. Structural models (for different PA outcomes) were not consistent across settings except for the association between perceived social support and identified regulation. Identified regulation was only associated with vigorous PA in Uganda and with moderate PA in South Africa. The association between social support and PA outcomes ranged from weak to not significant and the association between self-efficacy and PA was not significant. Self-reported PA was highest in Uganda and lowest in Sweden. Self-reported vigorous PA was significantly related to lower hemoglobin A1c levels, while moderate PA was not.ConclusionsFindings suggest that: 1) it is feasible to compare a motivational process model across diverse settings; 2) there is lower perceived social support and self-efficacy in the urban, migrant samples; 3) identified regulation is a more promising determinant of PA than self-efficacy or social support in these populations; 4) associations between motivational determinants and PA depend on the perceived type and/or intensity of PA; 5) perceived relatedness functions as a basic psychological need across diverse settings; and 6) people’s perception of the PA they perform depends on their perceived level of intensity of PA which would have major implications for health promotion.

Association of physical activity on exercise motivation and body mass index among university students

Background and Study Aim. Motivation as a psychological feature that arouses and energizes people to action towards physical activity and makes them sustain to a physically active behavior. Motivation leads to increased participation in physical activity. The objective of this study was to determine the association of physical activity to exercise motivation of university students at different levels of body mass index. Material and Methods. 140 undergraduate students Mean age 19±0.70 years randomly categorized into underweight <18.5 kg/m2 [n= 37: 26.4%]; normal-weight 18.5-24.9 kg/m2 [n= 31: 22.1%]; obese ≥30.00 kg/m2 [n=37: 26.4%] and obese class III ≥40.00 kg/m2 [n=35: 25%]. Exercise motivation measured through BREQ-2. Results. ANOVA revealed highly significant difference among BMI categories on intrinsic regulation (p=0.007<.05) and identified regulation (p=0.006<.05). Obese class III students differed on external regulation (p=0.003) and introjected regulations (p=0.011). The association of physical activity to exercise motivation revealed that students who engaged more time in physical activities had significantly higher scores on identified regulation (p < 0.05) and intrinsic regulation (p < 0.01). Conclusions. The results suggested that university students in all BMI categories were internally motivated. The normal weight students exhibited high intrinsic and identified regulation, which reflected as better autonomous motivation. Physical activity had strong association with intrinsic regulation and identified regulation. Obese class students exhibited higher degree of extrinsic motivation and amotivation. Students who engaged more time in physical activity had better intrinsic motivation.

CHEERLEADERS’ MOTIVATION AND READINESS TO RETURN TO SPORT FOLLOWING INJURY

Returning to sport following an injury is a process that is riddled with difficulties, especially so for competitive athletes. This is a quantitative research employed survey method. A total of 130 cheerleaders (age = 25.66 ± 4.928 years old) participated in this study where they have suffered from an injury that has put them out from sports for 1 - 4 weeks. Two inventories were completed: 1) Adapted Sport Motivation Scale and 2) Readiness to Return to Sport Questionnaire. The demographic data collected were age, team cheer division, position in team and injury duration. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (Pearson product-moment correlation, Independent T-test and One-way ANOVA) were used to analyze the data. Results from the study showed that there were significant effects (p <0.05) of intrinsic motivation (toward accomplishment and experience stimulation) and extrinsic motivation (identified regulation, introjected and external regulation) of athletes towards returning to sport after injury. This demonstrated that motivation significantly influenced athletes’ readiness to return to sport following an injury. Correlation analyses revealed that the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation towards athletes’ readiness to return to sports following injury were associated with a positive renewed perspective on engaging in sports. As the athletes perceived themselves to be psychologically ready to return to sport after injury; it also reflected on their self-determination to attempt the sport again without fear, worry, concern and anxiety of reinjure from occurring. This study indicated the importance of motivation in assisting injured athletes in returning to sport. Most athletes returned to sport because of others’ expectations on themselves although they were not fully mentally prepared to return to sport due to their fear and concerns of performing at peak performance again.

Life Skills Development Through Sport in Brazil: A Study Based on Self-Determination Theory

This study investigated whether a large sample of youth participants’ life skills development through sport was impacted by demographic variables and/or variables based on self-determination theory. Participants were 461 Brazilian youth sport (325 boys; 136 girls) aged 10–17 years ( Mage = 15.12, SD = 1.44). Participants completed a self-report research survey to assess demographic variables, coach autonomy support, basic need satisfaction, and sport motivation. We analyzed data using cluster analysis, a chi-square test and multivariate analysis of variance. We found that sport participants in the high life skills development cluster were older ( p = .007) and had more years of sport experience ( p = .032). Compared to the low life skills development cluster, sports participants in the high life skills development cluster displayed higher scores for coach’s autonomy support ( p = .001), autonomy satisfaction ( p = .002), competence satisfaction ( p = .001), relatedness satisfaction ( p = .001), and identified regulation ( p = .023). In practice, these findings indicate that coaches should seek to satisfy participants’ three basic psychological needs and encourage an identified regulation form of motivation when trying to promote participants’ life skills development through sport.

Student Motivation and Associated Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis From Self-Determination Theory

Student outcomes are influenced by different types of motivation that stem from external incentives, ego involvement, personal value, and intrinsic interest. The types of motivation described in self-determination theory each co-occur to different degrees and should lead to different consequences. The associations with outcomes are due in part to unique characteristics and in part to the degree of autonomy each entails. In the current meta-analysis, we examine these different types of motivation in 344 samples (223,209 participants) as they relate to 26 performance, well-being, goal orientation, and persistence-related student outcomes. Findings highlight that intrinsic motivation is related to student success and well-being, whereas personal value (identified regulation) is particularly highly related to persistence. Ego-involved motives (introjected regulation) were positively related to persistence and performance goals but also positively related with indicators of ill-being. Motivation driven by a desire to obtain rewards or avoid punishment (external regulation) was not associated with performance or persistence but was associated with decreased well-being. Finally, amotivation was related to poor outcomes. Relative weights analysis further estimates the degree to which motivation types uniquely predict outcomes, highlighting that identified regulation and intrinsic motivation are likely key factors for school adjustment.