Exploring academic motivation across university years: a mixed-methods study at King Faisal University

This study explores how gender and year of study influence academic motivation among undergraduate students at King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia, an understudied non-Western, gender-segregated context in the motivation literature. By situating the research within this unique population, the study responds to calls for expanding motivational research beyond Western samples and contributes culturally grounded insights to the field. Using a mixed-methods approach, quantitative data were collected from 267 students (51.3% female, 48.7% male) via the Academic Motivation Scale, alongside qualitative insights from nine semi-structured interviews. Descriptive statistics showed that female students consistently scored higher in both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, while male students reported significantly greater levels of amotivation. Motivation peaked in the first year of university and declined steadily in later years. Two-way ANOVA results revealed significant main effects of both gender and year of study across all seven academic motivation subscales (p < .05), though no significant interaction effects were found, suggesting stable gender-based differences across academic progression. Regression analysis further identified gender (β = 0.50, p = 0.013) and year of study (β = -0.75, p < 0.001) as significant predictors of motivation, particularly for intrinsic motivation to know. Thematic analysis reinforced the quantitative findings, highlighting external pressures, career concerns, and sociocultural expectations as key factors shaping students' motivational experiences. These findings underscore the urgency of implementing targeted, gender-sensitive interventions, such as academic mentoring, psychological support, and flexible curricular pathways, to sustain motivation, particularly in later academic years. By contextualizing academic motivation within the Saudi higher education system, this study contributes novel empirical insights and practical implications for educators and policymakers aiming to enhance student engagement and persistence in culturally specific settings.