Student motivation and satisfaction with the academic environment

Updated Sep 10, 2026

Motivation and satisfaction with university life may be related, but a survey does not establish which causes the other. Andrea Lukács and Alirán Kárpáti explore that relationship in a study published online on 2 February 2026 in the Journal of Further and Higher Education.

What the study reports

The exploratory survey included 591 students at one Hungarian university. It used the Academic Motivation Scale and the Student Satisfaction subscale from the University Student’s Motivation & Satisfaction Questionnaire-2, drawing on Self-Determination Theory.

The authors describe moderate self-determination and roles for both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Satisfaction with the academic environment was a statistical predictor of motivation, while age, financial background and gender were also related to motivation levels.

These findings identify relationships within the sample. They do not demonstrate that improving satisfaction will increase motivation or that any particular teaching or support change will improve retention and attainment.

Applying the question locally

Our suggestion is to examine motivation and experience measures together, then invite students to explain what supports or makes study difficult. Their accounts might raise questions about teaching, resources, relationships or pressures beyond university. Those are possible topics for local investigation, not mechanisms verified by this study.

Keep self-reported motivation distinct from attendance, attainment and continuation. If a team links datasets, define the purpose, permissions and reporting safeguards first. Use comments to add context, while recording which students answered and avoiding conclusions about missing voices. The NSS open-text methodology and governance checklist provide starting points for that discussion.

Any proposed change should have its own evaluation. A difference between survey groups does not establish what intervention is needed, and a one-institution sample is not a national benchmark.

FAQ

Q: Does satisfaction cause motivation?

A: This briefing cannot establish that. The findings describe a survey and statistical predictors, without a causal intervention comparison.

Q: What can a university investigate now?

A: Compare motivation and experience responses locally, ask students to explain the context, and decide what further evidence is needed before attributing causes or selecting changes.

Reference

Andrea Lukács and Alirán Kárpáti. “University students’ motivation to study and satisfaction with the academic environment.” DOI:10.1080/0309877X.2026.2624592.