ESP-4200

Published

2025-11-28

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 11 (2025): published

Section

Research Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Zheyun Zheng

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The journal adopts the Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0), which means that anyone can reuse and redistribute the materials for non-commercial purposes as long as you follow the license terms and the original source is properly cited.

Author(s) shall retain the copyright of their work and grant the Journal/Publisher rights for the first publication with the work concurrently licensed since 2023 Vol.8 No.2.

Under this license, author(s) will allow third parties to download, reuse, reprint, modify, distribute and/or copy the content under the condition that the authors are given credit. No permission is required from the authors or the publisher.

This broad license intends to facilitate free access, as well as the unrestricted use of original works of all types. This ensures that the published work is freely and openly available in perpetuity.

By providing open access, the following benefits are brought about:

  • Higher Visibility, Availability and Citations-free and unlimited accessibility of the publication over the internet without any restrictions increases citation of the article.
  • Ease of search-publications are easily searchable in search engines and indexing databases.
  • Rapid Publication – accepted papers are immediately published online.
  • Available for free download immediately after publication at https://esp.as-pub.com/index.php/ESP

 

Copyright Statement

1.The authors certify that the submitted manuscripts are original works, do not infringe the rights of others, are free from academic misconduct and confidentiality issues, and that there are no disputes over the authorship scheme of the collaborative articles. In case of infringement, academic misconduct and confidentiality issues, as well as disputes over the authorship scheme, all responsibilities will be borne by the authors.

2. The author agrees to grant the Editorial Office of Environment and Social Psychology a licence to use the reproduction right, distribution right, information network dissemination right, performance right, translation right, and compilation right of the submitted manuscript, including the work as a whole, as well as the diagrams, tables, abstracts, and any other parts that can be extracted from the work and used in accordance with the characteristics of the journal. The Editorial Board of Environment and Social Psychology has the right to use and sub-licence the above mentioned works for wide dissemination in print, electronic and online versions, and, in accordance with the characteristics of the periodical, for the period of legal protection of the property right of the copyright in the work, and for the territorial scope of the work throughout the world.

3. The authors are entitled to the copyright of their works under the relevant laws of Singapore, provided that they do not exercise their rights in a manner prejudicial to the interests of the Journal.

About Licence

Environment and Social Psychology is an open access journal and all published work is available under the Creative Commons Licence, Authors shall retain copyright of their work and grant the journal/publisher the right of first publication, and their work shall be licensed under the Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).

Under this licence, the author grants permission to third parties to download, reuse, reprint, modify, distribute and/or copy the content with attribution to the author. No permission from the author or publisher is required.

This broad licence is intended to facilitate free access to and unrestricted use of original works of all kinds. This ensures that published works remain free and accessible in perpetuity. Submitted manuscripts, once accepted, are immediately available to the public and permanently accessible free of charge on the journal’s official website (https://esp.as-pub.com/index.php/ESP). Allowing users to read, download, copy, print, search for or link to the full text of the article, or use it for other legal purposes. However, the use of the work must retain the author's signature, be limited to non-commercial purposes, and not be interpretative.

Click to download <Agreement on the Licence for the Use of Copyright on Environmental and Social Psychology>.

How to Cite

Zheng, Z. (2025). Cognitive Engagement and Motivation in Education: A Psychological Perspective. Environment and Social Psychology, 10(11), ESP-4200. https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v10i11.4200

Cognitive Engagement and Motivation in Education: A Psychological Perspective

Zheyun Zheng

Thai-Chinese International School of Management, University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Bangkok，Thailand，10400


DOI: https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v10i11.4200


Keywords: Self-Determination Theory; intrinsic motivation; cognitive engagement; psychological needs; education

Abstract

The objective of the current research is to analyze the effect of psychological need satisfaction on intrinsic motivation and cognitive engagement in terms of higher education and through the theoretical idea of Self-Determination Theory (SDT). The study will seek to address a gap in knowledge that is a critical one as far as the determination of how the perceptions of students towards autonomy, competence, and relatedness can not only lead to their motivation but also that of cognitive investment with regard to learning to which they invest. The research will be conducted in mixed format, with quantitative data analysis method of the structured surveys completed by 200 university students, and quantitative data analysis of 30 semi-structured interviews (so that no more than one hour is spent on each interview). It is thanks to this two-fold strategy that both measurable trends and lived lives can be approached as a whole. The results indicate mediating impact of the intrinsic motivation between the fulfillment of the psychological needs, and cognitive engagement, and therefore the significance of internalized drive in development of meaningful learning behaviors. The best indicator of engagement was competence, as compared to other two psychological needs that imply that students who perceive themselves as capable and skilled will be more likely to put more cognitive efforts in their study work. In addition to that, the findings indicate the importance of the autonomy-supportive environment and the favorable relations with the peers and instructors which, when united, contribute to the promotion of the motivation and persistence of the students in the academic life. Theoretically, the current study is an extension of SDT since it proposes the elements of Expectancy-Value theory and the Achievement Goal Theory since it offers a more holistic motivational concept. It also takes to account cultural dimension which identifies the perception of autonomy and relatedness of students therefore providing a more comprehensive and context sensitive interpretation of the motivational mystery in learning institutions.

References

[1]. 1.Shi Y, Tong M, Long T. Investigating relationships among blended synchronous learning environments, students’ motivation, and cognitive engagement: A mixed methods study. Computers & Education. 2021 Jul 1;168:104193.

[2]. 2.Singh M, James PS, Paul H, Bolar K. Impact of cognitive-behavioral motivation on student engagement. Heliyon. 2022 Jul 1;8(7).

[3]. 3.Bai L, Liu X, Su J. ChatGPT: The cognitive effects on learning and memory. Brain‐X. 2023 Sep;1(3):e30.

[4]. 4.Van den Broeck A, Howard JL, Van Vaerenbergh Y, Leroy H, Gagné M. Beyond intrinsic and extrinsic motivation: A meta-analysis on self-determination theory’s multidimensional conceptualization of work motivation. Organizational psychology review. 2021 Aug;11(3):240-73.

[5]. 5.Li J, Xue E. Dynamic interaction between student learning behaviour and learning environment: Meta-analysis of student engagement and its influencing factors. Behavioral Sciences. 2023 Jan 9;13(1):59.

[6]. 6.Diwakar S, Kolil VK, Francis SP, Achuthan K. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation among students for laboratory courses-Assessing the impact of virtual laboratories. Computers & Education. 2023 Jun 1;198:104758.

[7]. 7.Ryan RM, Duineveld JJ, Di Domenico SI, Ryan WS, Steward BA, Bradshaw EL. We know this much is (meta-analytically) true: A meta-review of meta-analytic findings evaluating self-determination theory. Psychological Bulletin. 2022 Nov;148(11-12):813.

[8]. 8.Howard JL, Gagné M, Morin AJ. Putting the pieces together: Reviewing the structural conceptualization of motivation within SDT. Motivation and Emotion. 2020 Dec;44(6):846-61.

[9]. 9.Ryan RM, Deci EL. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary educational psychology. 2000 Jan 1;25(1):54-67.

[10]. 10.Butler FC. The concept of competence: An operational definition. Educational Technology. 1978 Jan 1;18(1):7-18.

[11]. 11.Niemiec CP, Soenens B, Vansteenkiste M. Is relatedness enough? On the importance of need support in different types of social experiences. Human motivation and interpersonal relationships: Theory, research, and applications. 2014 Jan 8:77-96.

[12]. 12.Tang M, Wang D, Guerrien A. A systematic review and meta‐analysis on basic psychological need satisfaction, motivation, and well‐being in later life: Contributions of self‐determination theory. PsyCh journal. 2020 Feb;9(1):5-33.

[13]. 13.Blumenfeld PC, Kempler TM, Krajcik JS. Motivation and cognitive engagement in learning environments. na; 2006 Jan.

[14]. 14.Fredricks JA, Blumenfeld PC, Paris AH. School engagement: Potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of educational research. 2004 Mar;74(1):59-109.

[15]. 15.Pintrich PR, Zusho A. Student motivation and self-regulated learning in the college classroom. InThe scholarship of teaching and learning in higher education: An evidence-based perspective 2007 (pp. 731-810). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands.

[16]. 16.Ryan RM, Deci EL. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary educational psychology. 2000 Jan 1;25(1):54-67.

[17]. 17.Park SW. Motivation theories and instructional design. Foundations of learning and instructional design technology. 2017 Jan 1.

[18]. 18.Haywood J, Kuespert S, Madecky D, Nor A. Increasing Elementary and High School Student Motivation through the Use of Extrinsic and Intrinsic Rewards. Online Submission. 2008 Dec.

[19]. 19.Deci EL, Ryan RM. Self-determination theory. Handbook of theories of social psychology. 2012 Jan 1;1(20):416-36.

[20]. 20.Guay F, Vallerand RJ. Social context, student's motivation, and academic achievement: Toward a process model. Social psychology of education. 1996 Sep;1(3):211-33.

[21]. 21.Deci EL, Ryan RM, editors. Handbook of self-determination research. University Rochester Press; 2004.

[22]. 22.Deci EL, Ryan RM. Conceptualizations of intrinsic motivation and self-determination. InIntrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior 1985 (pp. 11-40). Boston, MA: Springer US.

[23]. 23.Deci EL, Ryan RM. The" what" and" why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological inquiry. 2000 Oct 1;11(4):227-68.

[24]. 24.Schunk DH, Bursuck WD. Self-efficacy, agency, and volition: Student beliefs and reading motivation. InHandbook of individual differences in reading 2015 Aug 11 (pp. 54-66). Routledge.

[25]. 25.Valle A, Cabanach RG, Núñez JC, González-Pienda J, Rodríguez S, Pineiro I. Cognitive, motivational, and volitional dimensions of learning: An empirical test of a hypothetical model. Research in higher education. 2003 Oct;44(5):557-80.

[26]. 26.Lombardi D, Shipley TF, Astronomy Team, Biology Team, Chemistry Team, Engineering Team, Geography Team, Geoscience Team, and Physics Team. The curious construct of active learning. Psychological Science in the Public Interest. 2021 Apr;22(1):8-43.

[27]. 27.Guay F, Ratelle C, Larose S, Vallerand RJ, Vitaro F. The number of autonomy-supportive relationships: Are more relationships better for motivation, perceived competence, and achievement?. Contemporary Educational Psychology. 2013 Oct 1;38(4):375-82.

[28]. 28.Ryan RM, Deci EL. When rewards compete with nature: The undermining of intrinsic motivation and self-regulation. InIntrinsic and extrinsic motivation 2000 Jan 1 (pp. 13-54). Academic Press.

[29]. 29.Wigfield A, Cambria J. Expectancy-value theory: Retrospective and prospective. InThe decade ahead: Theoretical perspectives on motivation and achievement 2010 Jul 12 (pp. 35-70). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

[30]. 30.Pintrich PR, Conley AM, Kempler TM. Current issues in achievement goal theory and research. International Journal of Educational Research. 2003 Jan 1;39(4-5):319-37.

[31]. 31.Durand VM, Crimmins DB. The motivation assessment scale. Dictionary of behavioral assessment techniques. 1988:309-10.

[32]. 32.Tarka P. The comparison of estimation methods on the parameter estimates and fit indices in SEM model under 7-point Likert scale. Archives of Data Science. 2017;2(1):1-6.

[33]. 33.Manwaring KC. Emotional and cognitive engagement in higher education classrooms. Brigham Young University; 2017.

[34]. 34.Schunk DH, Zimmerman BJ. Self‐regulation and learning. Handbook of Psychology, Second Edition. 2012 Sep 26;7.



21 Woodlands Close #02-10, Primz Bizhub,Postal 737854, Singapore

Email:editorial_office@as-pub.com