Motivation and Academic Success in Tertiary Education: A Scoping Review on European Countries

The motivations that push young people to enrol in tertiary education have been long analysed, and many studies have tested the association between motivations and academic success. The paper aimed to systematically review these studies and summarise their findings regarding (1) how motivation is conceptualised, (2) how academic success is measured, and (3) the association between motivation and academic success. We selected 13 studies. The comparison of their findings suggested that most studies measured motivation based on the Academic Motivation Scale, still with some differences, that is, some identified motivational profiles while the others distinguished among intrinsic, extrinsic and lack of motivation. Academic success was mainly measured using performance during the academic year, while it was rarely inferred from the completion of the path. Finally, most studies found a positive and statistically significant association between academic success and intrinsic motivation, while results on extrinsic motivation were mixed and inconclusive.