Development of a Conceptual Model of Students’ Motivational Profiles: A Grounded Theory Study

This study aimed to identify the components and develop a conceptual model of Iranian students’ academic achievement motivation. Data were collected through an eight-question semi-structured interview with university students (n = 20) and experts in the field of educational psychology (n = 8) selected based on a purposeful sampling method. The collected data were coded in three phases using the grounded theory methodology. The results were arranged and presented in 43 sub-categories and 18 main categories. A paradigmatic model was developed that comprised six dimensions, namely, causal factors, the main category (utility and applicability), background conditions, intervening conditions, strategies, and consequences. The main category, extracted through an interpretive analysis of the data, showed that the main conceptual core shaping Iranian students’ achievement-oriented efforts was the component of utility and academic applicability. Hence, one of the contributions of this study was to introduce the components of academic utility, applicability, and purposefulness to the literature on academic achievement motivation. Furthermore, it contributes to the advancement of theoretical knowledge in this field and deepens the current understanding of academic achievement motivation. The proposed conceptual model is an integrated coherent model since it takes into account all six dimensions of the paradigmatic approach and, simultaneously, emphasizes the interpretive weight of less known causes (e.g., utility and applicability) of academic achievement motivation. Equally important, the developed model highlights the role of external factors, including the education system, social values, and macro-political, -economic, and -cultural structures, in affecting students’ academic motivation. Finally, the developed model is hoped to provide students as well as educational policy-makers with a conceptual framework that can broaden their understanding of achievement motivation as a comprehensive, multifaceted concept.