Psychological atmosphere in a Russian university as a basis for motivation to study

Motivation for learning depends on both the student's personality traits and external factors, including the psychological atmosphere that is formed in study groups. This aspect has been studied rather poorly for foreign students. The purpose of the study is the impact of the psychological atmosphere on motivation for studying at a higher educational institution among Vietnamese students of different years of study. The psychological atmosphere of study groups where Vietnamese students study can be characterized as favorable, while foreign students to a greater extent highlight such components as cooperation, friendliness, agreement and satisfaction. Mutual support, passion, entertainment and success are expressed to a lesser extent. Strong correlations were found between intrinsic motivation and individual components of the psychological atmosphere in study groups, while no significant correlations were found for motivation to obtain a diploma. To a greater extent, such components of the psychological atmosphere as success, mutual support and cooperation affect intrinsic motivation. The study was conducted on a sample of 40 Vietnamese students who were examined using standard methods twice, in the 1st and 3rd years of study. The obtained results were subjected to correlation analysis and pairwise comparison using the Mann-Whitney coefficient. For the first time, the features of Vietnamese students' motivation to study at Russian universities in the 1st and 3rd years were considered in a comparative key. The prevalence of external motivation in the junior years and internal motivation in the senior years was revealed, which contradicts the previously obtained data on this social group. For the first time, a stable nature of the motivation "getting a diploma" was shown among Vietnamese students, which is explained by national and cultural characteristics, as well as the prestige of higher education in Vietnam. For the first time, an increase in motivation to study was demonstrated among 3rd-year students compared to the first, which can be explained by the psychological atmosphere of the educational institution for which the study was conducted. Statistically significant differences in the structure of motivation among students from Vietnam in the 1st and 3rd years of study were shown. For the first time, the features of the psychological climate in groups where Vietnamese students study were demonstrated, and key characteristics of the psychological climate were identified that demonstrate strong correlations with motivation for learning.