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Distance learning in higher education during COVID-19: The role of basic psychological needs and intrinsic motivation for persistence and procrastination-a multi-country study.

Authors :
Pelikan ER
Korlat S
Reiter J
Holzer J
Mayerhofer M
Schober B
Spiel C
Hamzallari O
Uka A
Chen J
Välimäki M
Puharić Z
Anusionwu KE
Okocha AN
Zabrodskaja A
Salmela-Aro K
Käser U
Schultze-Krumbholz A
Wachs S
Friðriksson F
Gunnþórsdóttir H
Höller Y
Aoyama I
Ieshima A
Toda Y
Konjufca J
Llullaku N
Gedutienė R
Borg Axisa G
Avirovic Bundalevska I
Keskinova A
Radulovic M
Lewandowska-Walter A
Michałek-Kwiecień J
Plichta P
Pyżalski J
Walter N
Cautisanu C
Voda AI
Gao S
Islam S
Wistrand K
Wright MF
Lüftenegger M
Source :
PloS one [PLoS One] 2021 Oct 06; Vol. 16 (10), pp. e0257346. Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 Oct 06 (Print Publication: 2021).
Publication Year :
2021

Abstract

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, higher educational institutions worldwide switched to emergency distance learning in early 2020. The less structured environment of distance learning forced students to regulate their learning and motivation more independently. According to self-determination theory (SDT), satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and social relatedness affects intrinsic motivation, which in turn relates to more active or passive learning behavior. As the social context plays a major role for basic need satisfaction, distance learning may impair basic need satisfaction and thus intrinsic motivation and learning behavior. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between basic need satisfaction and procrastination and persistence in the context of emergency distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in a cross-sectional study. We also investigated the mediating role of intrinsic motivation in this relationship. Furthermore, to test the universal importance of SDT for intrinsic motivation and learning behavior under these circumstances in different countries, we collected data in Europe, Asia and North America. A total of N = 15,462 participants from Albania, Austria, China, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Kosovo, Lithuania, Poland, Malta, North Macedonia, Romania, Sweden, and the US answered questions regarding perceived competence, autonomy, social relatedness, intrinsic motivation, procrastination, persistence, and sociodemographic background. Our results support SDT's claim of universality regarding the relation between basic psychological need fulfilment, intrinsic motivation, procrastination, and persistence. However, whereas perceived competence had the highest direct effect on procrastination and persistence, social relatedness was mainly influential via intrinsic motivation.<br />Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1932-6203
Volume :
16
Issue :
10
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
PloS one
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
34613978
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0257346