Abstract
This study examined whether motivation correlates with academic success and whether students’ sense of belonging mediates this relationship. A sample of undergraduate students completed self-report measures assessing academic motivation, belonging, and grade point average (GPA). A mediation analysis using PROCESS Model 4 (Hayes, 2022) and a series of multiple regressions revealed that motivation was not significantly related to belonging, and neither motivation nor belonging significantly correlates with GPA. Correlation analyses similarly showed no significant linear associations among the three variables. These findings suggest that motivation and belonging may not directly influence academic performance within a high-achieving sample and highlight the potential role of other behavioral or contextual factors. Limitations, including restricted GPA range, reliance on self-report measures, and limited statistical power, are discussed. Implications for future research emphasize the need for longitudinal designs, broader samples, and the consideration of additional academic and psychological variables.
Included in
Belonging, Motivation, and Academic Achievement
This study examined whether motivation correlates with academic success and whether students’ sense of belonging mediates this relationship. A sample of undergraduate students completed self-report measures assessing academic motivation, belonging, and grade point average (GPA). A mediation analysis using PROCESS Model 4 (Hayes, 2022) and a series of multiple regressions revealed that motivation was not significantly related to belonging, and neither motivation nor belonging significantly correlates with GPA. Correlation analyses similarly showed no significant linear associations among the three variables. These findings suggest that motivation and belonging may not directly influence academic performance within a high-achieving sample and highlight the potential role of other behavioral or contextual factors. Limitations, including restricted GPA range, reliance on self-report measures, and limited statistical power, are discussed. Implications for future research emphasize the need for longitudinal designs, broader samples, and the consideration of additional academic and psychological variables.