Need Satisfaction, Motivation, and Learning Strategies in Undergraduate Kinesiology Students

Abstract

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of basic psychological need satisfaction and motivation on students’ use of deep and surface learning strategies across undergraduate kinesiology courses. This study used a survey consisting of demographic questions and three self-report questionnaires assessing basic need satisfaction, motivation, and deep and surface learning strategies. The survey was administered via Qualtrics at the end of two semesters (fall 2020 and spring 2021). The participants consisted of 1,125 undergraduate kinesiology students (81.9% female, 55.3% white, 94.8% non-Hispanic) at a midsize university in the southeastern part of the United States. Path modeling showed that intrinsic motivation was influenced by autonomy, competence, and relatedness, while identified regulation was influenced by autonomy and competence. Relatedness also influenced both introjected regulation and external regulation. Participants’ intrinsic motivation and identified regulation negatively predicted surface learning strategies while external regulation positively predicted surface learning strategies. Intrinsic motivation and identified motivation predicted deep learning strategies. Interestingly, all three basic psychological needs predicted deep learning strategies. These findings underscore the importance of satisfying basic needs to influence motivation and, in certain cases, learning strategies. While it is evident that the use of deep learning strategies would be highly beneficial for this group of learners, kinesiology students may not rely on these strategies due to a lack of intrinsic motivation and basic need satisfaction. Although future research is necessary to test the causal links between these constructs, supporting students’ basic psychological needs and fostering intrinsic motivation could contribute to the use of deeper learning strategies.