Students’ Motivational Profiles Changes in an Academic Setting: A Longitudinal Study a Longitudinal Study

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to examine, longitudinally, the number and structure of motivational profiles in a sample of students at the beginning and the end of the academic year. A total of 141 undergraduate students of Azerbaijan University of Tarbiat Moallem were randomly selected to participate in this longitudinal survey. The subjects answered to the Motivation Types in the Classroom Questionnaire in the first days of entering the university and at the end of the first academic year. Motivational profiles were formed by using K-means clustering procedure. The results showed that two motivational clusters emerged at the beginning and the end of academic year. The first cluster represented a constructive motivational profile and the second one showed a negative motivational state. Furthermore, the frequency of students in the first cluster reduced significantly at the end of the academic year compared to the beginning of the academic year (P<0.05).