The Role of Motivation in Student Engagement and Attainment

Self-determination theory (SDT) foregrounds the role of individual agency and the provision of students’ basic psychological experiences for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. This is particularly helpful as a means of moving away from a ‘deficit’ reading of white-BAME and A-level-BTEC awarding gaps, and towards a framework which focuses on how university institutions can best respond to the needs of their students. This chapter uncovers specific differences in the motivational experiences of distinct student groups and offers new psychological and social insights into attainment disparities. Notably, lower feelings of relatedness at university emerged as a distinct issue for Black African students, whereas BTEC students reported higher levels of amotivation and stress which was accompanied by a lack of competence satisfaction. Findings point to unique motivational experiences for different student groups which may help inform institutionally wide initiatives to better accommodate students’ cultural norms and educational needs.