EXAMINING STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC MOTIVATION

The article reveals theoretical and methodological aspects of students' academic motivation. The urgency of the study is due to the fact that most school leavers prefer just obtaining a diploma of a prestigious institution of higher education to mastering deep knowledge and becoming an expert in the field. The paper aims to investigate academic motivation of university students. In the course of the study, a classification was used that divides academic motives into two groups: cognitive and social. The survey was conducted using the methodology of studying the motives of educa- tional activities (modified by A. Rean, V. Yakunin). It has shown that the educational system of students is dominated by cognitive motives, in particular “becoming a highly qualified specialist”, “acquiring profound knowledge”, “gaining intellectual pleasure”, etc. These motives form the basis of learning activities and are related to the content and process of learning; contribute to the development of students' cognitive activity, provide for overcoming difficulties in solving educational and cognitive problems, which, in turn, contributes to the formation of a competent, competitive specialist. Social motives are based on the understanding of the social need for learning and are associated with professional training. They are manifested as motives for self-improvement and self-determination, as well as awareness of duty, the desire to take a decent place in the team. Among the social ones, the students tended to choose “getting a diploma” motive. At the same time, such motives as “keeping up with classmates”, “fulfilling pedagogical requirements”, “being an example for classmates”, “avoiding condemnation and punishment for academic failure” were rarely chosen by the respondents. This shows their inadequate desire to assert their social status precisely through educational activities, as well as the weak influence of the authority of both teachers and fellow students on them.