Explanatory Model of Intrinsic Motivation in University Students

Despite numerous studies on intrinsic motivation and its relationship with individual and contextual variables, few investigations explore this relationship using a multivariate approach. This research employs an explanatory design with cross-sectional measures to empirically assess a model examining the direct and indirect associations between intrinsic motivation, achievement orientation, procrastination, school perception, and self-efficacy among 389 non-randomly selected Colombian university students who responded to the instruments via Google Forms. The resulting model demonstrates an adequate practical fitness. In this model, achievement orientation, school perception, and self-efficacy positively and directly influence intrinsic motivation, while procrastination negatively and directly influences self-efficacy. Furthermore, self-efficacy indirectly affects intrinsic motivation through the latent variable of procrastination. These findings support the design of interventions aimed at fostering intrinsic motivation and helping students develop time management and task-planning skills to reduce procrastination and enhance academic performance.