Learning Motivation and Its Relationship to Cognitive Achievement among Students of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences at the University of Benghazi

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between learning motivation and cognitive achievement among students of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences at the University of Benghazi. It also sought to identify the levels of both variables, examine differences according to academic level, and determine the extent to which the dimensions of learning motivation contribute to predicting cognitive achievement. The study employed a descriptive correlational research design. The main sample consisted of 190 students selected through stratified random sampling from a population of 365 students, based on the Krejcie and Morgan sample size table. The research instruments consisted of a questionnaire comprising three sections: demographic data, the Learning Motivation Scale developed by the researcher, and the Cognitive Achievement Scale developed by the researcher. The findings revealed a statistically significant positive correlation between learning motivation and cognitive achievement. Statistically significant differences were found in learning motivation according to academic level, in favor of fourth-year students compared with first-year students, while no statistically significant differences were found in cognitive achievement attributable to academic level. Persistence, goal achievement, and desire to learn made statistically significant contributions to predicting cognitive achievement, accounting for approximately 36.7% of its variance. The study concluded with recommendations aimed at enhancing learning motivation, particularly persistence, among students of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences.