Motivação acadêmica: perspectiva sob a ótica da Teoria da Autodeterminação

Objective:To verify the extent to which students’ motivation changes during an Accounting Sciences Undergraduate Program. Method: Data were collected from 2016 to 2021 using the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) based on the self-determination theory. The data were treated by frequency distribution, boxplot graphs, and the Wilcoxon matched pairs test. The sample included 583 participants, 163 of whom answered the scale in the first and fourth years, totaling 746 responses. Results: The results showed that the students’ motivation level changed during the program. A statistically significant decrease was found in the motivation level concerning intrinsic motivation to know and achievement and extrinsic motivation of identification, while demotivation increased. Contributions: This study’s contribution concerns the confirmation that the change in motivation levels was the same throughout the course, both for students who responded at the beginning and end of the course and for those who responded only at the beginning or end of the program. This study also highlights the factors that fluctuated, allowing coordinators and educators to make decisions/actions to improve critical aspects.