Predictors of adolescents' academic motivation: Personality, self-efficacy and adolescents' characteristics

This study examined the factors predicting intrinsic and extrinsic academic motivation among secondary school students. In total, 455 students completed questionnaires measuring intrinsic and extrinsic academic motivation, Big Five personality traits and self-efficacy. In addition, demographic information (sex, age and socioeconomic status) was obtained. Overall, self-efficacy and personality (specifically conscientiousness) predicted significant variance in intrinsic motivation, while only self-efficacy predicted significant variance in extrinsic motivation; self-efficacy and personality predicted more variance in intrinsic than extrinsic motivation. Demographic variables (sex, age and SES) were not significant predictors of academic motivation. Implications for raising academic motivation among secondary school aged students are discussed.