Determinants of study motivation of undergraduate university students in Chile

Abstract

ABSTRACT Students’ academic motivation is a critical factor in understanding the choices that they make over the course of their educational careers. The purpose of this research is to identify the factors that determine students’ motivation to complete their undergraduate studies. Working with a sample of 2032 undergraduate students from 11 universities in Chile, an ordinal logistic regression model was constructed to estimate the effect of students’ sociodemographic characteristics, their academic performance and the characteristics associated with the university and the degree program they were pursuing, on their academic motivation. The results show that students’ motivation to complete their studies is determined primarily by their socioeconomic status, the allocation of financial aid, their relationship with professors, and their level of integration into the social and academic environment of the university. Students with low socioeconomic status have higher levels of academic motivation compared to those with higher level of status. However, there is no difference in the level of motivation among students in different fields of study. The paper concludes that the significance of socioeconomic status as a factor influencing motivation may be due to the promise of social mobility associated with obtaining a university degree, which provides access to better jobs and salaries. Additionally, a high degree of integration in the university and good relationships with professors can increase motivation by alleviating anxiety during the transition from university to the labor market.