Analysis of the Relationships between Academic Motivation, Engagement, Burnout and Academic Achievement with Structural Equation Modelling

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between teacher candidates’ academic motivations, engagements, burnouts and academic achievements with structural equation modelling. The participants of the research consisted of teacher candidates studying in the faculty of education at a state university in Eastern Turkey (n=861). The model, which was set within the research, was confirmed. 5 out of 6 hypotheses were accepted, while 1 of them was rejected. In the consequence of the research, it was determined that academic motivation predicted burnout directly and negatively; academic motivation predicted student engagement directly and positively; burnout predicted student engagement directly and negatively; burnout predicted academic achievement directly and negatively; student engagement predicted academic achievement directly and positively, on a significant level statistically. Moreover, burnout had a mediation role in the relationship between academic motivation and student engagement; student engagement had a mediation role in the relationship between burnout and academic achievement; both student engagement and burnout had a mediation role in the relationship between academic motivation and academic achievement. Academic motivation explained nearly 31% of the variance in burnout; academic motivation and burnout together explained nearly 44% of the variance in student engagement; and the confirmed model explained nearly 13% of the variance in academic achievement. Further implications of these findings for practical use and further research are discussed.