Abstract:

This study aimed to identify whether motivation to learn has a statistically significant effect on intergenerational educational mobility among Brazilian university students. Although qualitative studies have proposed the existence of this relationship, quantitative evidence still needs to be discovered. We sought to identify the characteristics that might be fostered to enable students to complete primary education and pursue higher education. To answer the research question, we used data from a sample of 1,031 individuals collected via a structured questionnaire and estimated an ordered logistic regression model with intergenerational educational mobility as the dependent variable and motivation as the key independent variable. The results showed that more motivated individuals were more likely to be educationally upwardly mobile in relation to their parents. However, such cases were more likely to occur when there was low mobility, with the father or mother having completed high school. This study’s findings would help public policymakers seeking to promote intergenerational educational mobility and reduce inequality. The results suggest motivation can be fostered and developed in children and adolescents, and the mechanisms for doing so, be they extrinsic or even intrinsic, need to be considered.

摘要：

本研究旨在确定学习动机是否对巴西大学生的代际教育流动性具有统计上的显着影响。尽管定性研究提出了这种关系的存在，但仍需要发现定量证据。我们试图确定可以培养的特征，使学生能够完成初等教育并接受高等教育。为了回答这个研究问题，我们使用了通过结构化问卷收集的 1,031 名个体样本的数据，并估计了一个有序逻辑回归模型，其中代际教育流动性作为因变量，动机作为关键自变量。结果表明，积极性更高的人相对于父母更有可能在教育上向上流动。然而，当父亲或母亲完成高中学业、流动性较低时，这种情况更有可能发生。这项研究的结果将有助于公共政策制定者寻求促进代际教育流动性和减少不平等。结果表明，儿童和青少年的动机可以得到培养和发展，并且需要考虑这样做的机制，无论是外在的还是内在的。