The Effects of Social Relations and Place Attachment on College Students Academic Motivation

Indianapolis, IN

Identifying factors that influence students' post-secondary academic motivation and achievement to learn in the classroom continues to be the goal of educational and sociological researchers. Beginning freshman year, students strive for the highest level of academic success and frequently find themselves trying to identify goals or motivations for succeeding academically through internal and external feedback. This feedback comes from interacting with peers and professors, in and outside of the classroom. Prior research has indicated that those who experience a higher level of place attachment are more likely to become involved in organizations that increase their social relations with those on campus and subsequently their academic motivation. Social relations increase the likelihood that study groups will be created and foster a sense of academic motivation. This study seeks to identify the role that place attachment plays in determining a student's academic motivation and social relations. Students with frequent social relations may develop higher academic motivations through healthy place attachment. The sample consisted of 200 college students whose ages ranged from 18 to 22. Place attachment was measured using the Psychological Place Attachment scale, which consisted of 31 questions measuring respondent's connectedness to campus. Social relations was measured using the Scale of Schools Social Climate and consists of seven questions measuring the frequency and feelings of social interaction. Academic motivation was measured using two separate, previously tested, measurement scales. A combined measure was created using the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory and the Motivational Strategies for Learning, which measured participant's general level of academic motivation. The Initial Interest Scale was used to determine participant's interests and reasons for succeeding in academia. It is hypothesized that student's social relations would predict their place attachment and this place attachment would in turn predict higher levels of academic motivation.