Student Motivation in Remote Laboratories: A Multi-Institution Self-Determination Theory Study in Food Science Education

Remote laboratories (RL) have expanded access to food science laboratory education while shifting students into more autonomous learning environments. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) suggests that motivation in such settings depends on whether psychological needs, particularly competence, are satisfied as students navigate hands-on learning with reduced instructor presence. This cross-sectional, multi-institution study examined motivational profiles of food science students (n = 110) who completed take-home RL kits at six U.S. universities, using the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory. In a linear mixed model accounting for institutional clustering (n = 109), perceived competence, utility value, and effort investment were each uniquely and positively associated with interest; in the corresponding single-level model, the three constructs jointly accounted for 57% of the variance in interest. A comparison by prior food engineering coursework (n = 94) yielded a significant multivariate effect that no single construct accounted for. Discriminant function analysis showed that the groups differed on a contrast between perceived competence and interest: students without prior coursework reported competence exceeding their interest, whereas students with prior coursework reported interest matching or exceeding their competence (d = 0.79). This contrast held after adjustment for institution, although differences in the level of competence alone did not. Pre- and post-laboratory quizzes, which showed low reliability, indicated a small, non-significant gain in conceptual knowledge among the 68 students with matched scores. Findings provide multi-institution evidence that competence- and value-related processes covary with interest in autonomous, hands-on laboratory learning, and indicate that prior experience is associated with the balance between competence and interest rather than with the level of either.