Article Version of Record

Linking University Students’ Willingness to Learn to Their Recollections of Motivation at Secondary School

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Gorges, Julia
Schwinger, Malte
Kandler, Christian

Abstract / Description

This study investigated the role of recollected school-based motivation on university students’ willingness to use new learning opportunities. Following Eccles’ expectancy-value theory, willingness to learn was conceptualized as task value, which has been found to predict task choice in previous empirical studies. Based on three motivational theories, we suggest two broad motivational dimensions for an economic description of motivational orientations, inward and outward, that should differentially predict the formation of task value. German university students (N = 1580) were asked about their task value for receiving their instructions in English as a foreign language at university and, retrospectively, their motivation in English language class at secondary school. Principal components analysis and confirmatory factor analyses of motivational variables yielded a two-factor solution supporting the differentiation between inward and outward motivational orientation. Inward motivational orientation at school was positively linked to students’ task value in adulthood, even if the individual’s self-concept of ability was controlled. The effects of outward motivation were rather small and tended to be counterproductive. Our findings suggest a complex interplay between past and present motivation and self-concept of ability underlying one’s willingness to learn and to participate in education.

Keyword(s)

adult learning higher education adult education motivation task value

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

2013-11-29

Journal title

Europe's Journal of Psychology

Volume

9

Issue

4

Page numbers

764–782

Publisher

PsychOpen GOLD

Publication status

publishedVersion

Review status

peerReviewed

Is version of

Citation

Gorges, J., Schwinger, M., & Kandler, C. (2013). Linking University Students’ Willingness to Learn to Their Recollections of Motivation at Secondary School. Europe's Journal of Psychology, 9(4), 764–782. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v9i4.638
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Gorges, Julia
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Schwinger, Malte
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Kandler, Christian
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2018-11-21T10:01:20Z
  • Made available on
    2018-11-21T10:01:20Z
  • Date of first publication
    2013-11-29
  • Abstract / Description
    This study investigated the role of recollected school-based motivation on university students’ willingness to use new learning opportunities. Following Eccles’ expectancy-value theory, willingness to learn was conceptualized as task value, which has been found to predict task choice in previous empirical studies. Based on three motivational theories, we suggest two broad motivational dimensions for an economic description of motivational orientations, inward and outward, that should differentially predict the formation of task value. German university students (N = 1580) were asked about their task value for receiving their instructions in English as a foreign language at university and, retrospectively, their motivation in English language class at secondary school. Principal components analysis and confirmatory factor analyses of motivational variables yielded a two-factor solution supporting the differentiation between inward and outward motivational orientation. Inward motivational orientation at school was positively linked to students’ task value in adulthood, even if the individual’s self-concept of ability was controlled. The effects of outward motivation were rather small and tended to be counterproductive. Our findings suggest a complex interplay between past and present motivation and self-concept of ability underlying one’s willingness to learn and to participate in education.
    en_US
  • Publication status
    publishedVersion
  • Review status
    peerReviewed
  • Citation
    Gorges, J., Schwinger, M., & Kandler, C. (2013). Linking University Students’ Willingness to Learn to Their Recollections of Motivation at Secondary School. Europe's Journal of Psychology, 9(4), 764–782. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v9i4.638
  • ISSN
    1841-0413
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1219
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.1411
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Publisher
    PsychOpen GOLD
  • Is version of
    https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v9i4.638
  • Keyword(s)
    adult learning
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    higher education
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    adult education
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    motivation
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    task value
    en_US
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    Linking University Students’ Willingness to Learn to Their Recollections of Motivation at Secondary School
    en_US
  • DRO type
    article
  • Issue
    4
  • Journal title
    Europe's Journal of Psychology
  • Page numbers
    764–782
  • Volume
    9
  • Visible tag(s)
    Version of Record