Supporting Motivational Persistence in the Personality System in Early Academic Stages through Educational Strategies

Abstract

A first year population of 300 students completed the questionnaire on paper-pencil regarding the main variables regarding educational strategies, motivational persistence personality trait and early academic dropout intentions. We test here the moderating role of educational strategies (i.e. goal setting and pursuit, applicability of knowledge, etc.) in order to support personality trait motivational persistence (MP) for reducing early academic dropout intentions (early ADI). As results show, motivational persistence trait and early academic are negatively and significantly associated, but the relation is weak. Similarly, educational strategies that support motivational persistence trait are also significantly and negatively associated with early academic dropout intentions. Motivational persistence traits and most of educational strategies are positively and significantly associated. When adding the interaction term of motivational persistence and each educational strategy, results show a greater effect of reducing early academic dropout intentions. Results highlight the need to investigate how educational methods for higher education support motivation in the personality system for students, especially persistence as a way of dealing with hardship when faced with obstacles, without increasing their intentions of dropout. We measured educational strategies using specific measures related to motivational persistence and early academic dropout intentions that support the understanding of this phenomena in its depth.