The Role of Academic Motivation in Shaping Goal Orientation: Evidence from University Students

Abstract

This study investigated the predictive role of academic motivation on goal orientation among undergraduate students The study encompassed 200 student subjects that provided a way of responding to the Academic Motivation Scale (Vallerand et al., 1992) and the Achievement Goals Questionnaire (Elliot & McGregor, 2001). The authors used descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and multiple regression to demonstrate the relationship between intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation and amotivation with different patterns of goal orientations. Results indicated a significant positive association between overall academic motivation and goal orientation (r = .59, p < .001), with academic motivation explaining 35% of the variance. Multiple regression analyses revealed that both intrinsic (β = .28, p = .001) and extrinsic motivation (β = .40, p < .001) significantly predicted goal orientation, whereas amotivation did not emerge as a significant predictor (β = –.03, p = .652). These findings highlight the differential influence of motivational types on students’ goal-directed behaviors, emphasizing the importance of fostering intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to enhance adaptive learning strategies. The study contributes to the understanding of motivation-goal orientation dynamics in a South Asian context and provides practical implications for educational policy and teaching practices aimed at promoting mastery and performance goals.