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A self-determination theory approach to predicting school achievement over time: The unique role of intrinsic motivation

Taylor, Geneviève ; Jungert, Tomas LU ; Mageau, Geneviève ; Schattke, Kaspar ; Dedic, Helena ; Rosenfield, Steven and Koestner, Richard (2014) In Contemporary Educational Psychology 39(4). p.342-358
Abstract
Although many studies have examined the relation of academic motivation to school achievement using the Self-Determination Theory perspective, the results have been inconsistent. The present investigation represents the first systematic attempt to use a meta-analysis and controlled, longitudinal studies to examine the relations of specific types of motivation to overall academic achievement. The meta-analysis (Study 1) pointed toward a potentially important role of intrinsic motivation in predicting school achievement. Three empirical studies of high school and college students in Canada (Studies 2 and 3) and in Sweden (Study 4) showed that intrinsic motivation was the only motivation type to be consistently positively associated with... (More)
Although many studies have examined the relation of academic motivation to school achievement using the Self-Determination Theory perspective, the results have been inconsistent. The present investigation represents the first systematic attempt to use a meta-analysis and controlled, longitudinal studies to examine the relations of specific types of motivation to overall academic achievement. The meta-analysis (Study 1) pointed toward a potentially important role of intrinsic motivation in predicting school achievement. Three empirical studies of high school and college students in Canada (Studies 2 and 3) and in Sweden (Study 4) showed that intrinsic motivation was the only motivation type to be consistently positively associated with academic achievement over a one-year period, controlling for baseline achievement. Amotivation was significantly associated with lower academic achievement in Studies 3 and 4. Interestingly, intrinsic motivation was also associated with reduced amotivation in two of our studies and it was reciprocally associated with higher school achievement in another study. Overall, our findings highlight the unique importance of intrinsic motivation for the future academic success of high school and college students. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Contemporary Educational Psychology
volume
39
issue
4
pages
342 - 358
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:84908324406
ISSN
0361-476X
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b929e77b-f72e-4188-8351-8d8c0add5a1b (old id 5368319)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:46:48
date last changed
2022-04-28 00:55:30
@article{b929e77b-f72e-4188-8351-8d8c0add5a1b,
  abstract     = {{Although many studies have examined the relation of academic motivation to school achievement using the Self-Determination Theory perspective, the results have been inconsistent. The present investigation represents the first systematic attempt to use a meta-analysis and controlled, longitudinal studies to examine the relations of specific types of motivation to overall academic achievement. The meta-analysis (Study 1) pointed toward a potentially important role of intrinsic motivation in predicting school achievement. Three empirical studies of high school and college students in Canada (Studies 2 and 3) and in Sweden (Study 4) showed that intrinsic motivation was the only motivation type to be consistently positively associated with academic achievement over a one-year period, controlling for baseline achievement. Amotivation was significantly associated with lower academic achievement in Studies 3 and 4. Interestingly, intrinsic motivation was also associated with reduced amotivation in two of our studies and it was reciprocally associated with higher school achievement in another study. Overall, our findings highlight the unique importance of intrinsic motivation for the future academic success of high school and college students.}},
  author       = {{Taylor, Geneviève and Jungert, Tomas and Mageau, Geneviève and Schattke, Kaspar and Dedic, Helena and Rosenfield, Steven and Koestner, Richard}},
  issn         = {{0361-476X}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{342--358}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Contemporary Educational Psychology}},
  title        = {{A self-determination theory approach to predicting school achievement over time: The unique role of intrinsic motivation}},
  volume       = {{39}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}