The correlative Relationship between Intrinsic Academic motivation, Psychological well-being and Coping Strategies among Undergraduates Science students in Jammu Province

The correlative Relationship between Intrinsic Academic motivation, Psychological well-being and Coping Strategies among Undergraduates Science students in Jammu Province

(1) Kiran Bharti Research Scholar (2) Dr. Parminder

Assistant Professor

Department of Education, LPU University Phagwara

Abstract – Intrinsic Academic motivation plays an important role in enhancing students learning outcomes and academic success. The present study investigates the relationship between Intrinsic Academic motivation and psychological well being among Undergraduates Science students in Jammu Province. The primary objectives were to assess the levels of academic motivation and psychological well-being and to examine the relationship between between Intrinsic Academic motivation and psychological well being among Undergraduates Science students in Jammu Province. A descriptive survey method was used. A sample of 400 Undergraduates Science students was selected using Random Sampling. Statistics techniques, including mean and standard deviation, were employed to analyze the levels of academic motivation and psychological well-being, while Pearsons Product Moment Correlation was used to determine the relationship between the variables. The findings revealed that the mean score of academic motivation was 3.61 (SD = 1.19), indicating a moderate level of motivation among students. In contrast, psychological well-being had a higher mean score of 4.30 (SD = 1.38), suggesting that students generally reported a relatively higher level of well-being. The overall scale mean was 3.96, reflecting a moderate to high level of responses. Further analysis indicated a strong positive and statistically significant relationship between academic motivation and psychological well-being (r

= 0.836, p < 0.001). This result show that students with higher academic motivation tend to exhibit better psychological well-being. The study concludes that academic motivation is a significant factor influencing the psychological well- being of undergraduate students. The findings highlight the need for educational institutions to implement strategies that enhance students motivation in order to promote their mental health and overall well-being.

Keywords: Intrinsic Academic motivation, Psychological well being ,Undergraduates Science students, Jammu Province .

INTRODUCTION

Academic motivation is an important factor in predicting learning outcomes (Manning et al., 2011). According to Sarkis et al. (2020), it can be characterized as an innate behavior that represents a person’s thoughts and potential. According to Hayat et al. (2018), there are three types of academic motivation: intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and A motivation. Incentives, gratitude, and social and physical impacts are examples of extrinsic motivation (Atalay et al., 2016). On the other hand, intrinsic motivation is fueled by a student’s desire to pursue a career and finish difficult assignments (Cadríguez et al., 2021).The lack of interest or desire to participate in any activity is referred to as a motivation. Both internal and external motivational elements should be taken into account when evaluating medical students’ academic motivation (Wu et al., 2020). Academic motivation is the fundamental cause of students’ study habits and has a substantial impact on their academic achievement (Hakan & Léire, 2014). For instance, students may put in a lot of study time because they want to get a good job in the future or because they are under pressure from their families. As a result, academic motivation is essential to both academic achievement and overall educational results (Berestova et al., 2022).The Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000) divides motivation into two major categories: autonomous and regulated. Willingness and individual choice are components of autonomous motivation (Claver et al., 2020). Students’ motivation levels are influenced by both inner and extrinsic goals. Self-acceptance, a sense of belonging, and making a contribution to society are examples of intrinsic aims, which are non-materialistic. Extrinsic goals, on the other hand, are

materialistic and include becoming well-known, maintaining a positive reputation, and attaining financial success (Kasser & Ryan, 1996). Extrinsic goals frequently cause people to become reliant on other forces, whereas intrinsic goals encourage independence, connection, and productivity (Kasser, 2016).Engaging in an activity for its own sake, motivated by curiosity, pleasure, and fulfillment, is known as intrinsic motivation (Deci, 1975; Deci & Ryan, 2013). A student who is intrinsically motivated, for example, learns because they appreciate and find learning to be intellectually fascinating. In contrast to extrinsic motivation, research has repeatedly demonstrated that intrinsic motivation is more closely linked to favorable educational achievements and general well-being (Bailey & Phillips, 2016; Lazowski & Hulleman, 2016).Additionally, academic motivation can be defined as an emotional and cognitive state that affects students’ academic performance (Li & Zheng, 2017). It initiates, guides, and maintains learning-related behaviors like perseverance, effort, and the desire to take on difficult activities. The amount of effort students put forth, their ability to control their learning, the kinds of assignments they select, and their perseverance in the face of challenges are all influenced by academic motivation (Usher & Morris, 2012).Academic motivation, according to Wigfield and Eccles (2002), is a student’s desire that is demonstrated in their attitude, perseverance, and degree of interest in academic assignments, especially when their competence is assessed against criteria of excellence. In a similar vein, Mangal (2013) highlights that students’ persistent interest and persistence in accomplishing academic goals are reflected in their academic motivation. Thus, students’ learning behavior, effort, perseverance, and overall academic success can all be influenced by academic motivation.

PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL BEING

Positive self perception, satisfying relationships, a feeling of purpose in life and the capacity to overcome challegences are characteristics of psychological well being. Its a multifaceted notion that encompasses more than just the absence of mental disease; it also refers to an individual overall sense of happiness fullfilled and contentment in life. An integral part of an individual experience happiness has normal psychological functioning and discovers meaning and purpose in life (Dhanabhakyam & Sarath, 2023).Six variables influence an individuals psychological well being , according to (Ryff , 1989) model of psychological well being

: Self-acceptance, personal growth, purpose in life , environmental mastery , autonomy and positive relationships with others . According to (Ryff and Singer, 2006) individuals who fulfill these six requirements exhibit elevated level of psychological well being. A happy life is necessary for psychological health. It is the outcome of both improved performance and improved feelings. The ability to control unpleasant or negative emotion is essential for long term well being. On the other hand, going through difficult times and feeling depressed, disappointed or unsuccessful is a natural part of life and is not a requirement for long term happiness. However, psychological well being is harmed by intense or persistently negative feelings that impaired a persons ability t function in day to day life (Huppert, 2009).

Coping is essentiall defined as the efforts used to manage the internal or external demands that are appraised as potentially harmful and stressful to the individual (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). Coping is a process and It progresses across several stages (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). Lazarus and Folkman (1984) defined the stages as primary and secondary appraisal. Primary appraisal is the initial decision used to assess whether an event is harmful and controllable, it is the evaluation stage. Secondary appraisal regards the perception of the abilities to cope with the stressful event; it is the managing stage. These cognitive appraisal processes facilitate the ability to predict the type of coping strategy that one will use; whether preventive measures are taken or regulation of emotional distress. Consequently, coping strategies are behaviours adopted by the individual in response to reduce the adverse effects of the appraised stressor (Fleming, Baum, & Singer, 1984; Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). According to Lazarus and Folkman (1984), there are two categories of coping strategies-problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping. Problem-focused coping actively confronts the problem and tackles the problem head-on. It is usually used when the individual appraises the situation as optimistic and controllable (Carver, Scheier, & Weintraub, 1999). Emotion-focused coping features behaviour that reduces the emotional distress on the stressor, for instance, avoidance, minimization, selective attention and positive comparison. This coping strategy is most likely utilized when the individual perceives the situation as unavoidable and uncontrollable (Carver et al., 1999). Nevertheless, problem-focused and emotion focused coping are not two distinct functions but both facilitate and impede each other in the coping process and may be more beneficial than the other indifferent situations (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). Avoidant strategies include denial, defined as an attempt to

reject the reality of the stressful event; behavioral disengagement, giving up or withdrawing efforts from the attempt to attain the goal with which the stressor is interfering; venting, an increased awareness of ones emotional distress and a concomitant tendency to ventilate or discharge those feelings; and humour, making jokes about the stressor. Despite the documentation of more than 400 coping strategies (Skinner et al., 2003), they are generally categorized into two broad types (Zimmer-Gembeck and Skinner, 2016): approach (also called active) strategies and evasive (or disengagement) strategies. Approach strategies involve cognitive and behavioral mechanisms aimed at making an active response to the stressor, directly changing the problem (primary control) or the negative emotions associated with it (secondary control). This category includes strategies such as planning, taking specific action, seeking support (instrumental and emotional), positive reappraisal of the situation, or acceptance. Evasive strategies are those which involve cognitive and behavioral mechanisms used to evade the stressful situation, such as distraction, denial, and wishful thinking. Based on this classification, there is a broad consensus that approach strategies are related to good academic, physical, and psychological adjustment (Clarke, 2006; Syed and Seiffge, 2015; Gustems et al., 2019), whereas evasive strategies usually mean maladaptive consequences for the students (Tavolacci et al., 2013; Deasy et al., 2014; Skinner et al., 2016; Tran and Lumley, 2019). The very characterization of coping strategies as responses to a specific challenge demonstrates their situational specificity. This has led in recent years to the adoption of an approach based on the flexibility of coping, under the supposition that a single individual can combine different strategies, using one or the other depending on the specific situation they are facing (Eisembarth,2012; Koblinska &Kusev ,2019).In this vein, the benefits provided by approach coping strategies are maximized if the individual employs problem- focused coping strategies (e.g., planning and seeking instrumental support) or emotion-centered strategies (e.g., positive reappraisal and seeking emotional support) based on the perceived controllability of the stressor facing them (Chen,2001;Siltanen et.al.,2019).In contrast, people who are less flexible in their coping have a smaller repertoire of strategies, which are less effective adjusting to the specific demands of the situation ( Cheng and Cheung,2005).Studying individuals profiles in light of the flexibility of their coping is therefore adopting a person-centered focus (Laursen and Hoff ,2006) making it possible to identify subgroups of students characterized by high internal similarity in their repertoire of coping strategies, who differ from the way that other students combine their strategies. An additional advantage over the traditional, variable-focused approaches is that studying profiles of flexibility of coping makes it possible to identify specific groups of individuals who can be prioritized in the design of interventions (Kaluza, 2000).

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

1. To assess the level of Intrinsic Academic Motivation among undergraduates Science students in Jammu Province.

2. To examine the level of Psychological well being among undergraduates Science students in Jammu Province.

3. To identify the coping strategies used by these students among UG Science students in Jammu Province.

4. To study the relationship between Intrinsic Academic Motivation and Psychological well being among undergraduates Science students in Jammu Province.

5. To study the relationship between Psychological well-being and Coping Strategies among undergraduates Science students in Jammu Province.

HYPOTHESIS OF THE STUDY

1. There is no significant level of Intrinsic Academic Motivation among undergraduates Science students in Jammu Province.

2. There is no significant level of Psychological well being among undergraduates Science students in Jammu Province.

3. There is no significant difference in coping strategies among UG science students.

4. There is no significant of relationship between Intrinsic Academic Motivation and Psychological well being among undergraduates Science students in Jammu Province.

5. There is no significant of relationship between Psychological well-being and Coping Strategies among undergraduates Science students in Jammu Province

METHOD

Research Design

Descriptive research design was employed .

Participants

The sample consists of 400 undergraduates Science students from Jammu province (J&K). Participants was selected using random sampling techniques.

Measuring

Academic Motivation Scale (AMS-C-28) College version based on 7 point Likert scale. The scale measured intrinsic motivation (to know, towards accomplishment, to experience stimulation).Ryffs psychological well being (18 items). Self-constructed coping strategies scale is used.

Procedure

Data was collected through Google form and offline surveys.

Data Analysis

Data analyzed using Mean, Standard Deviation and Pearson Correlation

RESULTS

Reliability Analysis

DISCUSSION

The results show that a strong positive and statistically significant relationship between academic motivation and psychological well-being among undergraduate science students. Results indicates that students with higher levels of academic motivation tend to report higher psychological well-being. The present study aimed to assess the level of psychological well-being and coping strategies among undergraduate science students in Jammu Province, and to examine the relationship between these two variables. The descriptive statistics reveal that the mean score of coping strategies (M = 2.58, SD = 1.608) indicates a moderate level of coping strategies among undergraduates science students. The relatively higher standard deviation suggests variability in the coping patterns, implying that students differ considerably in how they manage stress. This variation may be due to differences in personal, academic, and socio-cultural factors.In contrast, the mean score of psychological well-being (M = 3.49, SD = 0.800) indicates a relatively higher and more stable level of Psychological well-being among students. The lower standard deviation reflects consistency in psychological well-being levels across the sample. The correlation analysis shows a strong positive relationship (r = 0.861, p < .001) between coping strategies and psychological well-being. This finding clearly indicates that students who employ effective coping strategies tend to have higher psychological well-being. This finding is consistent with previous research. Studies have demonstrated that adaptive coping strategies, such as problem-solving and seeking social support, significantly enhance

psychological well-being, while maladaptive strategies like avoidance may negatively impact mental health (Sattar et al., 2022; Wu et al., 2020). The strong correlation observed in the present study reinforces the idea that coping strategies play a important role in determining students mental health outcomes. The results can be interpreted in the context of academic pressure faced by science students, which often requires effective stress management techniques. Students who are better equipped with coping mechanisms are more likely to maintain emotional balance, optimism, and resilience.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that academic motivation plays an important role in enhancing the psychological well-being of students. The strong correlation highlights the importance of fostering motivation in academic motivation to improve students overall psychological well-being and coping Strategies.

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