Academic motivation and information literacy self-efficacy: The importance of a simple desire to know

• Information literacy (IL) self-efficacy is associated with higher levels of student academic motivation.
• The most important predictor of IL self-efficacy is intrinsic motivation to know.
• Amotivation is significantly associated with lower levels of IL self-efficacy.
• It is important to actively identify academically amotivated students and facilitate intrinsic academic motivation.

Considered essential to lifelong learning, information literacy skills and information literacy self-efficacy are associated with higher levels of student academic motivation. However, little is known about the interrelationships between the different types of academic motivation and information literacy self-efficacy. This study investigates the relationships between these constructs. Data were collected using a questionnaire comprising existing scales. The questionnaire was administered to undergraduate students in an Australian higher education institution with a response rate of 58%, resulting in 585 completed questionnaires. Both intrinsic and extrinsic academic motivation were found to be positively related to information literacy self-efficacy, while amotivation was negatively related. The most important predictor of information literacy self-efficacy was intrinsic motivation to know. Overall, all academic motivation types increased over time, including, unexpectedly, amotivation. Differences were apparent by gender. The need for higher education institutions to actively identify academically amotivated students and facilitate intrinsic academic motivation is discussed.