Impact of Motivational Orientations on University Student Performance

This report investigates the relationship between motivational orientations and academic performance in a university setting. It explores intrinsic, extrinsic, and amotivational factors, highlighting their impact on student outcomes. The study reveals that intrinsic motivation is linked to lower stress levels, while amotivation correlates with higher stress and poorer psychological adjustment. The research also examines the influence of the university climate, gender, and entry qualifications on academic performance. The findings suggest that higher entry qualifications predict better academic outcomes, and women exhibit higher extrinsic motivation. The study acknowledges limitations such as the use of self-reported measures, sample size, and the focus on psychology students, cautioning against broad generalizations. The report provides valuable insights into the complexities of student motivation and its effect on academic success.

Introduction
Studies reveal that motivation bears a positive influence on the academic
performance of students. Individuals can be intrinsically motivated, extrinsically
motivated or, amotivated (Deci & Ryan, 1985;1991). Intrinsically motivated
individuals perform an activity for attainment of self satisfaction wheras
extrinsically motivated individuals perform to escape defamation or, attainment of
rewards. Amotivated individuals performs activities which are unintended and
uncontrolled. This study intends to assess the relationship between various
motivational orientations and performance in a tertiary educational setting.
Evidence suggests that university education calls for adjustmentment related to
social, interpersonal and academic demands (Dunkel-Schetter & Lobel, 1990)
and poor adjustment can affect the physical and psychological well being of the
student (Aspinwall & Taylor, 1992; Fisher & Hood, 1987). In this study, a
theoretical model will be used to test the influence of perceived peer climate on
self-motivation followed by well being of the students pursuing higher education.
Discussion
The present study reveals that intrinsically motivated studying leads to lower
scores for perceived stress though it is not indicative of better psychological
adjustment to university life or, higher levels of perceived well being. Amotivation
has been found to be associated with higher stress levels, weaker psychological
adjustment to university life, in sync with previous studies that have established
link between amotivation and lower perception of competence, lower
concentration (Vallerand et al., 1989) and low self-esteem (Peterson & Seligman,
1984). The results obtained in the present study are supportive of previous
research in educational settings (Vallerand & Bissonnette, 1992; Vallerand et al.,
1992, 1997), that self determined motivation yields positive consequences. The
students in the present study possess higher levels of amotivation in comparison
to previous studies on Canadian students (Vallerand et al., 1992). According to
the cognitive evaluation theory, the level of autonomy influences motivation (Deci
& Ryan, 1985, 1991; Ryan & Deci, 2000a & b). Students who are supported by
their parents and teachers to be autonomous in career related choices, develop
higher levels of intrinsic motivation thereby lowering drop outs in high school
(Vallerand et al., 1997). Socio contexual events such as usage of extrinsic
rewards like grades (Grolnick & Ryan, 1987) as is relevant in British university
system, lowers the sense of autonomy and hence, lowers intrinsic motivation.
Hence, the general university climate where the present study was conducted
increased amotivational behaviors and resulted in poor outcomes. Finally, both
gender and entry qualifications accounted for a significant amount of the variance
in academic performance scores. The finding that individuals with higher entry
qualifications achieved higher grades in the university studies supports previous
findings that secondary school performance and scores on college admission
tests are the best predictors of academic performance at university (e.g., Allen,
1999). Women in the present study had higher extrinsic motivation in comparison
to the men. The limitations include usage of self reported measures, it was not

possible to determine the role of motivational orientations on the outcomes,
sample size has gender imbalance and sample included only psychology
students. Thus, caution should be exercised in generalizing the current findings
beyond this student population.