Learning Motivation of Higher Education and PHD Students Before and During Complicated Conditions (Pandemic Covid-19, Martial Law in Ukraine)

Abstract

The article compares the views of participants in the educational process regarding the learning motivation in higher education before and during in complicated conditions (pandemic Covid-19, martial law in Ukraine). The author included 3881 respondents in the anonymous online survey carried out through Google Forms during 2019-2023, including: survey of 2019 – 788 Bachelor and Master students, 49 PhD students; survey of 2020-2023 – 2897 Bachelor and Master students, 147 PhD students; used IBM SPSS Statistics 23 for statistical analyses. The survey (2019-2020) shows that intrinsic motivation has the highest indicators (main values on a five-point scale, percentages): students (4,08-4,11; 45,11-49,86%), PhD students (4,12-4,39; 61,22-65,31%). It is shown that there are no statistically significant differences (t-test; p≤0,05) regarding motivation indicators before and at the beginning of complicated conditions between independent samples of higher education students and PhD students in most cases; however, PhD students have slightly higher motivation scores compared to students. The analysis shows the maximum values of intrinsic motivation (the main value of the motivation indicators for 2020-2023 and the interval of the minimum and maximum main value) for student survey in dynamics of 2020-2023 by various characteristics (educational level, gender, specialty, form of study, year of the survey): external negative motivation (M=2,50; 2,33-2,64) → external positive motivation (M=3,60; 3,45-3,70) → intrinsic motivation (М=3,96; 3,78-4,05). Students show a trend of decreasing motivation in dynamics (we mean values on a five-point scale and the year of the survey): external positive motivation – 3,82 (2019) → 3,78 (2020) → 3,71 (2021) → 3,59 (2022) → 3,19 (2023); intrinsic motivation – 4,11 (2019) → 4,08 (2020) → 3,98 (2021) → 3,93 (2022) → 3,76 (2023). Female students show statistically better (t-test; p≤0,05) indicators of intrinsic and external motivation compared to male representatives. It was found out that students with a high level of academic achievement have better indicators of learning motivation.