Intrinsic Motivation and School Outcomes for Underprivileged Urban High School Students
Ting Dai1, Haeyoon Chung1, Jean Sack1
1Department of Educational Psychology, University of Illinois Chicago.
Journal of Experimental Education
|September 24, 2025
Summary
Academic motivation positively impacts school outcomes for high school students. Higher intrinsic motivation is linked to better grades and attendance, and fewer suspensions.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Adolescent Development
- Sociology of Education
Background:
- Academic motivation is crucial for student success, particularly in urban, low-income high schools with large Latinx populations.
- Understanding the relationship between intrinsic motivation and school outcomes is vital for developing targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between intrinsic motivation and changes in academic performance (GPA), attendance, and disciplinary actions (suspensions) in 9th and 10th-grade students.
- To investigate how intrinsic motivation influences GPA trajectory, school attendance rates, and out-of-school suspensions over two academic years.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study tracking 463 students from low-income urban high schools over two academic years (9th-10th grade).
- Data collected included GPA, school attendance records, out-of-school suspension data, and measures of intrinsic motivation.
- Statistical analyses were used to assess the relationships between intrinsic motivation and school outcomes.
Main Results:
- Intrinsic motivation remained at medium-high levels across the two years. GPA showed a slight decline in 9th grade followed by recovery in 10th grade, while attendance decreased and suspensions increased.
- Ninth-grade intrinsic motivation positively correlated with GPA in Spring of 9th and Fall of 10th grade (small effect sizes), and with 10th-grade attendance (small effect size).
- Intrinsic motivation demonstrated a moderate negative association with out-of-school suspensions in both 9th and 10th grades.
Conclusions:
- Intrinsic motivation shows a protective effect against school dropout and disciplinary issues, evidenced by its negative relationship with suspensions.
- While intrinsic motivation offers some benefits for GPA and attendance, its influence is not consistently strong across all academic indicators.
- Findings suggest that fostering intrinsic motivation may be a valuable strategy for improving school outcomes in at-risk student populations.
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