Academic Motivation in Undergraduates: A Person-Centered, Mixed-Methods Analysis

• In Event: Bridging the Divide: Applications of Mixed Methods to Advance Motivation Studies

Abstract

The present study used a profile-centered approach to assess common patterns of academic motivation and their correlates in a sample of undergraduates, and supplemented those results with qualitative interview data. 180 students participated in a survey of academic motivation, perceived psychological needs support, and academic achievement, and a subset of that group (n = 20) participated in a semi-structured interview. Five motivational profiles were found: primarily autonomous, autonomous-introjected, high quantity, moderate, and primarily controlled. The least adaptive group in terms of both achievement and needs support was the primarily controlled cluster, with the autonomous-introjected cluster standing out as the highest achieving group. Implications for both theory and practice are considered.

Authors

• Madeline Appelbaum, Reed College

• Jennifer Henderlong Corpus, Reed College