The Image of the University Instructor as a Factor in Students’ Assessment of the Educational Environment and Academic Motivation

In the context of the transformation of higher education and the shift from knowledge transmission toward the creation of a developmental educational environment, the role of the university instructor as a key agent becomes increasingly significant. The instructor shapes students’ academic motivation and their subjective perception of educational quality. Despite growing interest in the transformation of pedagogical roles, the design of educational environments, and the management of student motivation, these phenomena are often studied in isolation. This creates a methodological gap between the structural characteristics of the educational environment and the dynamics of students’ academic motivation. The relevance of this study lies in the need for a comprehensive approach to analyzing the perceived image of the instructor, the educational environment, and students’ motivational profiles. The aim of the article is to examine the relationships between the perceived image of the instructor, students’ assessments of the educational environment, and their academic motivation. We hypothesized that students who perceive their instructors positively tend to evaluate the university environment more favorably and demonstrate higher academic motivation. We also assumed that these relationships may vary depending on students’ socio-professional characteristics. The study involved 348 university students from various Russian regions. Data were collected via questionnaire surveys using psychometric tools. The analysis employed exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, latent profile analysis, as well as comparative and correlational methods. The novelty of the study lies in the conceptual, methodological, and empirical actualization of the instructor’s image as a key component of the university educational environment and its connection to student academic motivation. Three key dimensions were identified: inspirational-charismatic style, academic integrity, and personal maturity. For the first time, latent profiles of instructor perception were revealed, differing in levels of motivation and satisfaction with the educational environment. The findings extend existing models of educational interaction and have practical implications for designing university environments in which the instructor acts as a facilitator, mentor, and cultural mediator.