Motivation and Academic Performance of University Students During the COVID19 Pandemic

Zoya Sajid and Saima Ghazal

Abstract

Youth are considered the backbone and future of every nation, but there is concern that the COVID-19 pandemic affected university students’ motivation negatively, resulting in low educational attainment. The present study examined the relationship between academic motivation and academic performance among university students during COVID-19. A cross-sectional research design was utilized and data was collected from college and university students (115 females and 37 males) who were sampled using the non-probability convenient sampling technique. Results of the study revealed that academic motivation is positively related to educational performance and that intrinsic motivation is the stronger predictor of academic achievement compared to extrinsic motivation. Significant gender differences were found indicating that females are more motivated and secure more grades than males. Findings from this study can advise better policies for students who may be suffering from health burdens and using online learning options. We recommend improved teacher training for online platforms and providing students with better resources for remote learning