Identification with academics, intrinsic/extrinsic motivation, and self-efficacy as predictors of cognitive engagement

Examined were several theoretically important relations among motivational characteristics of students that are malleable, or changeable with intervention. The motivational construct identification with academics, which includes perceptions of belonging and valuing within an academic context, was investigated along with intrinsic/extrinsic motivation, and self-efficacy as a predictors of cognitive engagement with 191 college students. Consistent with theoretical predictions, intercorrelations among measures of identification with academics, self-efficacy, and intrinsic motivation were all positive, as were the correlations of those three variables with meaningful cognitive engagement. Those three variables were also negatively correlated with a measure of amotivation and not related to a measure of extrinsic motivation. Path analysis demonstrated that self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, and academic identification each contributed uniquely to the prediction of meaningful cognitive engagement. Only extrinsic motivation predicted shallow cognitive engagement.