Social Integration in Higher Education and Development of Intrinsic Motivation: A Latent Transition Analysis

Abstract

This study, based on the self-determination theory, investigates the link between university students' social peer and teacher integration and intrinsic motivation development. Both integration contexts are expected to contribute to the student's development, either additive or compensatory. The analyses rely on a nationally representative sample of 7,619 German university students (NEPS data set) and cover the time between the 3rd and 5th semesters in a longitudinal design. Person-centered analytical tools were applied to tap interindividual differences in the motivational trajectories as well as in integration profiles. Latent transition analyses revealed distinct links between the motivational trajectories (Increase [n = 532], Moderate Decrease [n = 2580], Decrease [n = 4,507]) and the integration profiles (Highly Integrated [n = 2,492], Moderately Integrated [n = 3832], Isolated [n = 1,144], Peer Deprivated [n = 151]), pointing to additive effects of teacher and peer integration. Positive trajectories were more likely in the Highly than in Moderately Integrated profiles. The two profiles pointing to below-average integration levels (Isolated and Peer Deprivated) showed the same probabilities for rather negative trajectories. The results are discussed against the backdrop of self-determination theory and additive vs. compensatory effects of teacher and peer integration, proposing a threshold model.

Motivation, College Integration, and Intentions to Persist Among First-Generation College Students: A Latent Class Approach

“…Our results also suggested that students’ perceived integration into their college environment socially and academically differ across their motivation profiles after controlling for their demographic and pre-college academic characteristics. This finding is consistent with previous studies that motivation is positively associated with academic and social integration (Reindl et al, 2022). Our study expands the existing literature by applying a person-centered approach to capture a more comprehensive picture of motivation profiles for individuals.…”

“…Próspero and Vohra-Gupta (2007) reported that dimensions of motivation (i.e., intrinsic, extrinsic, and amotivation) and integration (i.e., academic and social) significantly contributed to academic achievement for FGCS. Reindl et al (2022) come the closest in their examination of motivational trajectories and integration profiles using person-centered analytic tools, but FGCS were not targeted in their study. In this current study, we focus on identifying FGCS' academic motivation profiles through a person-centered approach and exploring the association between participants' college integration, commitment, and persistence intentions across different motivation profiles.…”

“…These findings may reflect factors such as lack of support and time for FGCS to fully integrate into the college environment. Research utilizing a person-centered approach determined that social integration of university students, albeit not specific to FGCS, was linked to motivational trajectories (Reindl et al, 2022). As the role of academic and social integration in college is a fundamental component of student persistence, it is worth noting that scant research from a person-centered perspective has examined this topic with FGCS.…”

The Role of Higher Education for Ensuring National Security in Ukraine

“…Recent findings show that education is a major instrument for the transmission of cultural values, norms (Nakata & Takezawa, 2023;Pedroso et al, 2023), knowledge and essential skills (Cheng, 2021). At the same time, education facilitates social integration and contributes to socialization (Reindl et al, 2022), and fosters a sense of national identity among country's citizens (Hsieh, 2020;Matafora et al, 2021). Education also increases social order, reinforces established system of rules, and promotes the building of law-based society (Dong & Zeb, 2022;Vodolaskova, 2021).…”