Rachel Tyrrell
Academic motivation is a concept that has been widely discussed amongst the literature within the context of personality however, has not been deeply investigated in terms of student status (mature and traditional). Research has shown that conscientiousness often predicts academic motivation, however the research in the area of the mature student demographic is lacking. The current study aims to identify if personality and student status predict academic motivation, specifically in the context of conscientiousness and neuroticism as the focus for personality and intrinsic and extrinsic for motivation.
The present study aims to identify if academic motivation can be predicted by personality and student type, traditional student (18 years-24 years) and mature student (24 years and above). There is a gap in the research regarding representation for mature students as there is a plethora of data based on undergraduates who went the traditional route from second level into third level. However, in the present day there are many individuals who for a variety of reasons, they do not progress into third level education until a later age. This researcher aims to add to the research by filling this gap regarding mature students. There is also a lack of research in the area from an Irish sample. Many of the studies mentioned above are conducted in Eastern Europe, the United States, or Asia. This in turn means, the results from all previous studies become more generalisable if the study is replicated in a variety of countries and cultures. This researcher plans to close this gap by using an Irish sample for the present study. Multiple studies refer to using a more diverse range of courses as part of the sample criteria as many studies focused on one discipline at a time. The researcher intends to collect participants from the entire cohort in IADT and will aim to achieve a diverse and varied sample from many different backgrounds.
The current study contributed to the area of personality and motivation within psychology. It followed the direction of previous research and attempted to close a gap within the literature. The findings suggest that conscientiousness and neuroticism do not predict academic motivation. Nor does student type have an impact on academic motivation. While the current study did not reach statistical significance, this research was still valuable to the area. Further research is required to address additional concerns around second level education and the younger demographic.
My name is Rachel, I have been interested in psychology for a very long time and I am really interested in educational and personality psychology. Considering this, I chose the practice pathway which I am very glad I did, I enjoyed all my modules and topics covered. I also had the opportunity to volunteer in Barretstown which I enjoyed immensely and would highly recommend to everyone. I am hoping to pursue a Masters programme in Developmental Psychology.
