Controlled Motivation and Academic Engagement among College Students in a Philippine Higher Education Institution
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65166/px4te382Keywords:
academic engagement, controlled motivation, external regulation, introjected regulation, self-determination theory, college studentsAbstract
This study examined the relationship between controlled motivation and academic engagement among college students in a Philippine higher education institution. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, the study focused on controlled motivation as reflected in external regulation and introjected regulation, and academic engagement as reflected in behavioral, emotional, and cognitive involvement in learning. A quantitative descriptive-correlational design was employed. Data were gathered from 141 college students aged 18 to 24 at First City Providential College using stratified random sampling. The Controlled Motivation Scale and the Academic Engagement Inventory were used as research instruments. Descriptive statistics and Pearson product-moment correlation were applied to analyze the data. Results showed that the respondents had a moderate level of controlled motivation (M = 24.86, SD = 4.57) and a moderate-to-high level of academic engagement (M = 38.12, SD = 6.33). Correlation analysis indicated a significant moderate positive relationship between controlled motivation and academic engagement (r = 0.50, p < .05). The findings suggest that external and internal pressures may be associated with students’ academic involvement, although such engagement may not necessarily reflect autonomous or personally valued motivation. The study highlights the need for learning environments that sustain engagement while gradually fostering autonomy, self-direction, and healthier forms of academic motivation.
Downloads
References
Atento, R. G. (2025). Exploring e-learning for sustainable development: Integrating SDGs in management education at Philippine higher education institutions. International Journal of Health & Business Analytics, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.65166/2qcjx561
Balut, I. M., Baltazar, R. K., Fronda, M., Siador, K., Tandog, P. J. B., & Atento, R. G. (2026). Peer influence experiences and personal-social competencies among late adolescents: Evidence from a private higher education institution in the Philippines. International Journal of Behavioral and Social Analytics, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.65166/magr2j66
Basnet, N., Wouters, A., & Kusurkar, R. A. (2024). Students’ motivation for honors programs in the Netherlands. SAGE Open, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231218097
Bermido, C. M., Quinto, L. F., & Atento, R. G. O. (2025). A qualitative thematic review of contemporary challenges affecting health professions education: Implications for higher education leadership. International Journal of Health & Business Analytics, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.65166/yfm5w791
Bitrián, P., Buil, I., & Catalán, S. (2020). Gamification in sport apps: The determinants of users’ motivation. European Journal of Management and Business Economics, 29(3), 365–381. https://doi.org/10.1108/ejmbe-09-2019-0163
Cabrejas, M. M., & Mendoza, R. O. (2023). College students’ engagement and self-regulated learning strategies: Its influence to the academic performance in the flexible learning modality. British Journal of Multidisciplinary and Advanced Studies, 4(3), 73–84. https://doi.org/10.37745/bjmas.2022.0193
Chen, C., Bian, F., & Zhu, Y. (2023). The relationship between social support and academic engagement among university students: The chain mediating effects of life satisfaction and academic motivation. BMC Public Health, 23, Article 2368. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-17301-3
Eslit, E. (2023). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in college language and literature courses: Nurturing lifelong learning in a blended learning modality (Version 1) [Preprint]. Preprints.org. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202307.0040.v1
Gasiewski, J. A., Eagan, M. K., García, G. A., Hurtado, S., & Chang, M. J. (2012). From gatekeeping to engagement: A multicontextual, mixed method study of student academic engagement in introductory STEM courses. Research in Higher Education, 53(2), 229–261. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-011-9247-y
Howard, J. L., Bureau, J. S., Guay, F., Chong, J. X. Y., & Ryan, R. M. (2021). Student motivation and associated outcomes: A meta-analysis from self-determination theory. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 16(6), 1300–1323. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691620966789
Johansen, M. O., Eliassen, S., & Jeno, L. M. (2023). The bright and dark side of autonomy: How autonomy support and thwarting relate to student motivation and academic functioning. Frontiers in Education, 8, Article 1153647. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1153647
Lepinoy, A., Vanderlinde, R., & Le Bue, S. (2023). Emergency remote teaching, students’ motivation and satisfaction of their basic psychological needs in higher education. Frontiers in Education, 8, Article 1187251. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1187251
Litalien, D., Gillet, N., Gagné, M., Ratelle, C. F., & Morin, A. J. S. (2019). Self-determined motivation profiles among undergraduate students: A robust test of profile similarity as a function of gender and age. Learning and Individual Differences, 70, 39–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2019.01.005
Liu, Y., Ma, S., & Chen, Y. (2024). The impacts of learning motivation, emotional engagement and psychological capital on academic performance in a blended learning university course. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, Article 1357936. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1357936
Mouratidis, A., Michou, A., Sayil, M., & Altan, S. (2021). It is autonomous, not controlled motivation that counts: Linear and curvilinear relations of autonomous and controlled motivation to school grades. Learning and Instruction, 73, Article 101433. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2020.101433
Triebner, N., Sonnauer, F., Rauch, M., Kersten, G.-M., Rauch, C., Mestermann, S., Bailer, M., Kornhuber, J., Utz, J., & Spitzer, P. (2024). Promoting motivation and reducing stress in medical students by utilizing self-determination theory: A randomized controlled trial in practical psychiatry courses. BMC Medical Education, 24, Article 1177. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-06181-9
Tuyay, C. B., & Camacho, A. M. (2024). Academic motivation and student course engagement of scholar grantees in Rizal Technological University. Academia.edu.https://www.academia.edu/119110941/Academic_Motivation_and_Student_Course_Engagement_of_Scholar_Grantees_in_Rizal_Technological_University
Umemoto, T., & Inagaki, T. (2025). Reciprocal relationship between motivation and engagement in out-of-class learning among Japanese undergraduates. Journal of Education and Learning, 14(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.5539/jel.v14n1p1
Vallone, F., Galvin, J., De La Volta, M. F. C., Akhtar, A., Chua, S., Ghio, E., Giovazolias, T., Kazakou, Z., Kritikou, M., Koutra, K., Kovačević, S., Lee-Treweek, G., Mašková, I., Mavritsaki, E., Nastić, J., Plassová, M., Stuchlíková, I., & Zurlo, M. C. (2023). Technostress and academic motivation: Direct and indirect effects on university students’ psychological health. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, Article 1211134. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1211134
Vansteenkiste, M., Lens, W., Elliot, A. J., Soenens, B., & Mouratidis, A. (2014). Moving the achievement goal approach one step forward: Toward a systematic examination of the autonomous and controlled reasons underlying achievement goals. Educational Psychologist, 49(3), 153–174. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2014.928598
Wang, Y., Wang, H., Wang, S., Wind, S. A., & Gill, C. (2024). A systematic review and meta-analysis of self-determination theory-based interventions in the education context. Learning and Motivation, 87, Article 102015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lmot.2024.102015
Yan, H. (2026). Craftsmanship spirit, professional values, and learning motivation among Chinese higher vocational college students. International Journal of Behavioral and Social Analytics, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.65166/wvm4ge89
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Angel May A. Borinaga, Joanna Mae Cabilangan, Ma. Angeline M. Fernandez, Maurise Jay S. Monteclaro, Dr. Ramon George Atento (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright of their articles but grant the International Journal of Health & Business Analytics (IJHBA) the right of first publication.
