THE CORRELATION CONSIDERING THE DEGREE OF AUTONOMOUS MOTIVATION, ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND MENTAL HEALTH / POVEZANOST STUPNJA AUTONOMIJE MOTIVACIJE, AKADEMSKOG USPJEHA I PSIHIČKOG ZDRAVLJA
Authors: Velki Tena 
Published: August 2023

ABSTRACT In the last twenty years, many studies have tested the Self-Determination Theory and the possibility to generalize the obtained results in case of academic population. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation considering the degree of autonomous motivation, academic achievement and mental health. The study was conducted on a sample of 350 second and third year students (169 male and 181 female). Self Regulation Questionnaire-Academic (SRQ-A, Ryan & Connell, 1989) and SF-36 Health Survey (Ware & Sherbourne, 1992) were included as instruments; average grades obtained in the previous academic year and a total number of exams that had not been passed were used for measuring academic achievements. The obtained results supported the Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985, 1991). There is a positive correlation between academic self-regulation and average grades. Students who are more autonomously motivated had better average grades than students with controlled motivation. There is also a negative correlation between academic self-regulation and total number of exams not passed yet. Students who are more autonomously motivated had a smaller number of such exams than students with controlled motivations. We found a significant positive correlation related to the degree of relative autonomy, mental and general health. Students with autonomous motivation reported better mental and general health than students with controlled motivation.Keywords: academic achievement, self-determination continuum, self-regulation, mental health-----SAŽETAK Unazad dvadesetak godina brojni istraživači su se bavili provjerom teorije samoodređenja i mogućnosti njezine generalizacije na akademsku populaciju. Cilj našeg istraživanja bio je utvrditi povezanost stupnja autonomije motivacije, akademskog uspjeha i psihičkog zdravlja. Istraživanje je provedeno na uzorku od 350 studenata druge i treće godine (169 muških i 181 ženskih sudionika). Korišteni su sljedeći mjerni instrumenti: Upitnik akademske samoregulacije (Self Regulation Questionnaire-Academic, SRQ-A, Ryan i Connell, 1989), Upitnik za samoprocjenu zdravstvenog statusa (SF-36 Health Survey, Ware i Sherbourne, 1992) te dvije mjere akademskog uspjeha (opći uspjeh s prethodne godine studija i ukupan broj nepoloženih ispita). Dobiveni rezultati govore u prilog teoriji samoodređenja (Deci i Ryan, 1985, 1991). Dobili smo pozitivnu povezanost između akademske samoregulacije i općeg uspjeha studenata. Studenti s većim stupnjem autonomne motivacije imali su bolji uspjeh od studenata s kontroliranom motivacijom. Također smo dobili negativnu povezanost između akademske samoregulacije i broja nepoloženih ispita. Studenti s većim stupnjem autonomne motivacije imali su manji broj nepoloženih ispita za razliku od studenata s kontroliranom motivacijom. Dobivena je i pozitivna povezanost između stupnja relativne autonomije i psihičkog i općeg zdravlja. Studenti koji su autonomno motivirani izvještavali su o boljem psihičkom i općem zdravlju, za razliku od studenata s kontroliranom motivacijom. Ključne riječi: akademski uspjeh, kontinuum samoodređenja, psihičko zdravlje, samoregulacija