Reciprocal Relations Between Motivation for School-Based Extracurricular Activities and Learning Motivation in Junior High School Students

Abstract

  The present study examined reciprocal relations between school-based extracurricular activities and learning motivation, focusing on motivation based on self-determination theory. The participants were 565 Japanese junior high school students who participated in extracurricular activities. The results of a random intercept cross-lagged panel model indicated that autonomous motivation for school-based extracurricular activities positively predicted autonomous motivation for learning. The results also suggested that autonomous motivation for learning positively predicted autonomous motivation for school-based extracurricular activities. These results suggest that autonomous motivation for extracurricular activities (learning) may lead to autonomous motivation for learning (extracurricular activities). In addition, the results indicated that autonomous motivation for learning negatively predicted controlled motivation for school-based extracurricular activities, and that controlled motivation for learning positively predicted controlled motivation for school-based extracurricular activities. These findings demonstrate the significance of school-based extracurricular activities in junior high school, and also suggest that motivation in one context may transfer to motivation in other contexts.