Academic tutoring and academic performance: the mediating role of academic motivation in Peruvian university students

The objective of this research was to analyze the mediating role of academic motivation in the relationship between academic tutoring and academic performance among students at a private university in Huancayo. The study adopted a quantitative, explanatory, and non-experimental cross-sectional design. The population consisted of 10,000 students, from which a stratified probability sample of 370 participants was obtained. Data collection was carried out using Likert-type questionnaires validated by expert judgment and with adequate internal consistency (α > 0.84). The analysis was performed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), applying bootstrapping of 5,000 subsamples to evaluate the statistical significance of the coefficients. The results showed that academic guidance (β = 0.401, p < 0.001) and pedagogical support (β = 0.385, p < 0.001) significantly influence academic motivation, while the latter directly and significantly impacts academic performance (β = 0.540, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the mediation effect of academic motivation was found to be partial, given that the dimensions of tutoring also had significant direct effects on performance. The structural model explained 58% of the variance in academic performance (R² = 0.58), indicating a substantial explanatory capacity of the set of variables included. It is concluded that academic tutoring is most effective when it strengthens students' internal motivational processes, consolidating an integrative approach to improving university performance.