Jia Huey Gan
In what areas can higher education institutions help students improve their learning and academic achievement in online learning? The present study investigated whether motivation and self-regulation are able to predict academic achievement or perceived learning in higher education online setting. The study was conducted on 146 Malaysian undergraduates aged 18 – 25 years old (61 males and 85 females) via an online survey. Academic motivation, self-regulation, perceived learning and academic achievement were measured using a questionnaire. The main takeaway from this study is that it is better for students to have any type of motivation than no motivation at all in learning. Results showed that lack of motivation has a negative relationship with academic achievement and is a negative predictor of perceived learning. Besides, having intrinsic motivation and using self-regulated learning strategies increases one’s perceived learning. Furthermore, extrinsic motivation has a positive relationship with perceived learning but is not a significant predictor. Contrary to previous findings, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation and self-regulation did not significantly impact academic achievement. Overall, the findings imply that higher education institutions can implement changes to prevent lack of motivation and foster intrinsic motivation and self-regulation in students to encourage learning.