Instructional quality and motivation in higher education

Abstract In higher education, understanding motivational processes underlying student success is crucial for designing effective learning environments. Grounded in Situated Expectancy-Value Theory, this study examined how perceived instructional quality relates to academic achievement and whether these relations involve indirect links through subjective task values. We examined whether these relations differ between difficult and important courses. The sample consisted of 389 U.S. college students (70% female). Latent change score models revealed that in both course contexts, higher perceived instructional quality was associated with higher initial levels of subjective task values. Initial subjective task values were positively related to achievement and formed significant indirect pathways linking instructional quality and achievement. Changes in subjective task values did not mediate these relations. While the pattern of findings was largely comparable across course contexts, some descriptive differences emerged, pointing to context-specific nuances in how instructional quality related to subjective task values. These findings highlight the importance of instructional quality for students’ motivation across learning contexts in higher education.