Thesis:

Investigating the relationship between academic orientation and engagement with the mediating role of academic motivation among students of Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences

The relationship between goal orientation and academic engagement has been widely explored in educational psychology. This cross-sectional survey study, adopting a causal modeling approach, aimed to investigate the relationship between goal orientation and academic engagement, with the mediating role of academic motivation among students at Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences. The population included all students at the university, with a sample of 460 participants selected. Data were collected using the Elliot and McGregor (2001), Goal Orientation Scale, the Academic Motivation Scale by Valrand (1992) , and the Engaged Learning Scale by Wanglorsichon et al (2014). The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Results indicated a significant positive relationship between goal orientation and academic motivation, as well as between academic motivation and academic engagement. A positive and significant correlation exists between achievement goals and academic engagement, and this relationship is notably strengthened with the inclusion of academic motivation as a mediating variable. In other words, the indirect effect of achievement goals on academic engagement through academic motivation was significant. These findings align with Dweck’s achievement goal theory, highlighting the importance of motivation as a bridge between goal orientation and academic engagement. This study underscores the necessity of incorporating motivational mechanisms into educational planning to foster healthy academic behaviors.

Keywords: Keywords: Goal orientation, academic motivation, academic engagement, students, medical sciences.