Nature, implications and determinants of academic motivation profiles among upper elementary and secondary students

Abstract

The present study sought to contribute to self-determination theory by examining the nature of adolescents' academic motivation profiles defined while considering its global and specific nature. The construct validity of these profiles was examined by considering their replicability across samples of upper elementary (n = 781) and secondary (n = 467) school students, as well as their associations with predictors (perceived parental need nurturing behaviors) and outcomes (academic achievement and expectations of success). Latent profile analyses revealed four profiles (Non-Motivated, Identified, Amotivated, and Strongly Motivated) characterized by differing levels of global and specific levels of academic motivation. These profiles were fully replicated across educational levels. Most profiles differed from one another in terms of outcomes, although differences in terms of outcomes associations were observed across educational levels. Finally, profile membership was predicted by global levels of need nurturing and by some of the specific need nurturing behaviors in a way that replicated across educational levels. Our results suggest that the specific qualities of academic motivation and the global levels of self-determination are equally important in the identification of academic motivation profiles.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-023-04687-x.

Keywords: Academic achievement; Academic expectations; Academic motivation; Latent Profile Analysis (LPA); Parental need nurturing behaviors; Self-Determination Theory (SDT).

Fig. 1

Final 4-profile solution. Note. Profile indicators were standardized factor scores (M = 0, SD = 1) derived from preliminary measurement models; SDT: Self-determined motivation; Profile 1: Non-Motivated; Profile 2: Identified; Profile 3: Amotivated; Profile 4: Strongly Motivated