Cognitive-motivational variables of beginner university students in the first year of adaptation to the European Higher Education Area / Variables cognitivo-motivacionales del alumnado de nuevo ingreso en el primer año de adaptación al Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior

Abstract

Within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) the student is the main protagonist of the learning process. This means that teachers must be aware of the cognitive-motivational aspects that influence their learning. This study analyses the academic goals, learning strategies and levels of academic engagement shown by university students in their first year of adaptation to the European Higher Education Area, as well as the relationship between these variables. The results indicate that most students are averagely oriented towards learning goals and highly oriented towards achievement goals, regularly use a wide variety of learning strategies, and show average levels of academic engagement. The correlations between some of these variables are positive and significant. Further research needs to be carried out to understand the role played by different variables in constructing quality autonomous learning processes, not only in relation to students, as in the case of this study, but also in relation to teachers, tasks, contexts, and academic institutions, as well as the different interactions between them.