Academic motivation profiles and their association with burnout in Brazilian university students in physical education and physiotherapy

Abstract

Objective: The main objective of the current study was to identify distinct profiles of academic motivation through cluster analysis in a representative sample of Brazilian university students of physical education and physiotherapy. Subsequently, considering the scarcity of research on this topic, the second objective was to verify the existing associations between the identified academic motivation clusters and signs suggestive of academic burnout. Methods: The sample consisted of 497 university students (63% women). Data were collected using the Academic Motivation Scale and Burnout Assessment Tool – Core Symptoms Short Version. Cluster analysis was utilized to identify specific groupings of the seven motivation subscales. Binary logistic regression was used to verify the association between each cluster solution and signs suggestive of academic burnout. Results: Three clusters were generated with different configurations of coexistence and gradients of individual engagement of the academic motivation subscales, namely high, moderate, and low selfdetermination. University students grouped in the low self-determination cluster, characterized by higher amotivation scores accompanied by lower scores in the three intrinsic motivation subscales (knowledge, accomplishment and experience stimulation) and in the extrinsic motivation of identified regulation, demonstrated a two and a half times greater chance of presenting signs suggestive of academic burnout than their peers in the high self-determination cluster (OR = 2.48 [95%CI 1.61 – 4.36]; p < 0.001). In the case of university students grouped in the moderate self-determination cluster, the chances of showing signs suggestive of academic burnout were not significantly different compared to their peers grouped in the high self-determination cluster (OR = 1.52 [95%CI 0.98 – 2.74], p = 0.053). Conclusion: The findings are relevant and offer interesting evidence to support the proposal of stratifying university students according to clusters of subscales of the selfdetermination continuum, in order to identify specific issues and design more effective intervention actions to promote autonomous academic motivation.