Changes in Students’ Achievement Motivation in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Function of Extraversion/Introversion?

Jonathan Smith,Caroline Fitzpatrick,Mathieu Gagnon,Fanny-Alexandra Guimond,Julie Bergeron,Jérôme St-Amand

doi:10.3390/educsci11010030

Abstract

Students’ mental health has been an increased concern since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, academic outcomes have received very little attention. In this study, changes in students’ achievement motivation are investigated using an expectancy–value framework. Participants (n = 90) were high school students (grades 9 and 10) who reported on their expectancy and value perceptions in regard to learning before and during the pandemic (i.e., January and November 2020). Changes over time and as a function of extraversion/introversion were analyzed using repeated measures multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs). Most perceptions were found to be stable with the exception of interest in learning, which increased as a function of extraversion. Results are discussed in light of relevant pre-pandemic evidence.

Highlights

The pandemic of the coronavirus (COVID-19) is an unprecedented public health threat.In the months that followed the outbreak in Hubei province in China, most countries adopted precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the infection over their territory [1]
In light of the above, the goals of this study were to examine if the motivational dimensions competence, beliefs, interest in learning, utility value of learning, mastery goal orientation, and performance goal orientation have undergone changes since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and if these changes were similar amongst introvert and extrovert students
Competence beliefs, utility value of learning, mastery goal orientation, and performance goal orientation did not fluctuate during the pandemic in our sample

Summary

Introduction

In the months that followed the outbreak in Hubei province in China (in December 2019), most countries adopted precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the infection over their territory [1]. These measures included lockdown restrictions, school closures, and stay-at-home orders. Recent international studies showed an alarming increase in mental health symptoms in youth such as anxiety and depression [3]. In light of such evidence, it is reasonable to suspect that academic outcomes and, more precisely, students’ achievement motivation, could have deteriorated. Some research findings suggest that when individuals are struggling with mental health symptoms, they tend to exhibit poor motivation toward learning [4]

Objectives

Results

Conclusion