The session will present the results of a longitudinal study investigating student academic motivation and differences between student expected grade and actual grades in a large undergraduate class from fall 2012 to fall 2013. The study used the adapted Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) to examine student motivation and performance in class and whether academic motivation changed as students progressed through the two- semester sequence of the Human Anatomy and Physiology classes (HAPI and HAPII) in the context of Deci and Ryan’s (1985) Self-Determination Theory (SDT). Results revealed that of the seven subscales of the AMS, only Intrinsic Motivation - To Experience Stimulation changed over time. Significant predictors of final grades included: estimated GPA, expected grade, hours studying HAPI or HAP II, and two AMS subscales, namely, Extrinsic Motivation -Introjected and Extrinsic Motivation - External.

The study also examined the grade difference between students’ expected grades in class vs. actual grades for all students in the sample. Across both HAPI and HAPII, 75% of students overestimated their final grade, with at least 15% estimating they would pass when they did not. Three variables emerged as significant in predicting the grade difference (actual minus expected): HAPI vs. HAPII with HAPII less likely to overestimate; GPA with students with higher GPAs being more likely to overestimate; and study hours - with students reporting more study time being more likely to overestimate.

Attendees can expect to learn about the SDT and the relationship between student motivation, academic behaviors and performance.