1- Department of Educational Psychology, BL.C., Islamic Azad University, Bandar Lengeh, Iran.
2- Department of Educational Psychology, BL.C., Islamic Azad University, Bandar Lengeh, Iran. ,fateme.esfandiyari@iau.ac.ir
2- Department of Educational Psychology, BL.C., Islamic Azad University, Bandar Lengeh, Iran. ,
Abstract: (10 Views)
Objective: Academic achievement motivation is considered one of the most fundamental psychological constructs in explaining the success and persistence of students in higher education. The present study aimed to test a causal model of achievement motivation based on academic meaning with the mediating role of academic self-concept in university students.
Methods: This study was a descriptive-correlational design using a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach. The statistical population consisted of all undergraduate and graduate students at the Islamic Azad University, Bandar Lengeh Branch, during the 2025-2026 academic year. A sample of 350 students was selected through stratified random sampling based on gender. Data were collected using three standardized questionnaires: the Hermans Achievement Motivation Questionnaire (1970), the Chen and Yi-Hsien Academic Self-Concept Questionnaire (2004), and the Henderson-King and Smith Academic Meaning Questionnaire (2006). Data analysis was performed using SPSS-24 and AMOS software at both descriptive and inferential levels.
Results: The results indicated that the proposed model had a good fit, and all direct paths in the model were significant. The direct effects of academic meaning on achievement motivation (β=0.48, P<0.001), academic self-concept on achievement motivation (β=0.65, P<0.001), and academic meaning on academic self-concept (β=0.76, P<0.001) were all significant. The indirect effect of academic meaning on achievement motivation through academic self-concept was 0.49 (P<0.001).
Conclusions: Academic self-concept, as a mediating construct, elucidates the mechanism through which students' perception of the value and purposefulness of education leads to an increase in achievement motivation.
Methods: This study was a descriptive-correlational design using a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach. The statistical population consisted of all undergraduate and graduate students at the Islamic Azad University, Bandar Lengeh Branch, during the 2025-2026 academic year. A sample of 350 students was selected through stratified random sampling based on gender. Data were collected using three standardized questionnaires: the Hermans Achievement Motivation Questionnaire (1970), the Chen and Yi-Hsien Academic Self-Concept Questionnaire (2004), and the Henderson-King and Smith Academic Meaning Questionnaire (2006). Data analysis was performed using SPSS-24 and AMOS software at both descriptive and inferential levels.
Results: The results indicated that the proposed model had a good fit, and all direct paths in the model were significant. The direct effects of academic meaning on achievement motivation (β=0.48, P<0.001), academic self-concept on achievement motivation (β=0.65, P<0.001), and academic meaning on academic self-concept (β=0.76, P<0.001) were all significant. The indirect effect of academic meaning on achievement motivation through academic self-concept was 0.49 (P<0.001).
Conclusions: Academic self-concept, as a mediating construct, elucidates the mechanism through which students' perception of the value and purposefulness of education leads to an increase in achievement motivation.
Keywords: Achievement Motivation, Academic Meaning, Academic Self-Concept, University Students, Structural Equation Modeling.
Type of Study: Original |
Subject:
Educational Psychology
Received: 2026/02/21 | Accepted: 2026/05/12
Received: 2026/02/21 | Accepted: 2026/05/12
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