UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS’ LEARNING MOTIVATION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY BEFORE AND DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

The pandemic has had several consequences for education. The present research sought to analyze the impact of the pandemic on the degree of motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic) of undergraduate students. Additionally, we sought to investigate the effect of self-esteem and beliefs in a just world (BJW) as predictors of motivation to learn before and during the pandemic. To achieve this goal, 146 undergraduate students (86 before the pandemic and 60 during the pandemic) participated in the study, who responded to the Motivation to Learn Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Personal Belief in a Just World Scale, and reported sociodemographic data. The results indicated that intrinsic motivation dropped during the pandemic and extrinsic motivation went up. Additionally, it was found that self-esteem was a predictor of intrinsic motivation before the pandemic, and BJW was a predictor of extrinsic motivation during the pandemic.