Motivation and Purpose
A new generation of young people is entering tertiary institutions. These people have distinct traits and values and tend to exhibit limited interest in learning. For this population, motivation for learning is a crucial topic because it stimulates fundamental engagement in learning activities, sustaining them until successful outcomes are achieved. Taiwan’s tertiary institutions are being affected by Taiwan’s low birth rate, international competition, globalization, mobility issues, and a lack of learning motivation among students. Learning motivation is a key factor in determining whether students can adapt to higher education. Students are willing to learn when they are exposed to an engaging teaching method or when their motivation is stimulated. This study argues that the characteristics of a given subject area must be considered when developing strategies for motivating learning or implementing teaching.
The research objectives of this article are as follows:
(1) To assess the importance and implementation levels of various motivational factors for the new generation of young people and to further understand the differences between importance and implementation levels;
(2) To explore the differences in the motivational factors within various fields and areas of study; and
(3) To explore the differences in preferred teaching methods within various fields and areas of study and to compare preferences between students from different localities.
Literature Review
Most scholars agree that within each generation, academic goals, interests, skills, and core ideas are influenced by changes in the social environment and technological advancements. In general, the various generations can be divided into four groups: Baby Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y, and Generation Z. The current study focuses on Generation Z.
According to the literature, teachers should encourage Generation Z students to take an active role in their learning. Notably, they do not want to passively accept knowledge and information, and they are easily distracted. Therefore, teachers must identify methods to attract their attention. However, learning content must be appropriately challenging (i.e., neither excessively difficult nor easy), otherwise Generation Z students will feel frustrated and bored. Finally, these students want to apply what they learn in their daily lives.
Additionally, they expect teachers to adapt their teaching methods and activities in accordance with the learning levels of students. As a result, these students are often dissatisfied with traditional methods of knowledge delivery, preferring teachers who present curriculum knowledge in a systematic and specific manner. They particularly prefer interactive teaching methods, such as small group cooperative learning, thematic research, games and competitions, interviews, and the integration of technology into the teaching process.
The Ministry of Education applied the SCED-F 2013 framework to classify academic subjects by intrinsic attributes. This study analyzes differences in motivational factors and preferred teaching methods between students. The International Standard Classification of Education was used to categorize students.
Methodology
A questionnaire was developed on the basis of a literature review and six focus group interviews. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire was evaluated. Respondents were asked to evaluate the importance and level of implementation of various initiatives, as well as their preferred methods of teaching. Generation Z individuals born between 1996 and 2012 who had attended a tertiary institution were enrolled in this study.
The questionnaire was administered in two stages. The first stage involved an online questionnaire. The sampling method was based on Ministry of Education statistics, which were used to select colleges and universities in accordance with the distribution of university students across northern, central, southern, and eastern Taiwan and the outlying islands of Taiwan. Respondents were then selected in accordance with the distribution of students enrolled in various fields of studies within these institutions. In the second stage, paper-based questionnaires were administered. Teachers or students from relevant departments with low student proportions were contacted to assist in the distribution of these questionnaires.
In total, 1,119 questionnaires were collected in the second stage, with 999 deemed valid. Invalid questionnaires comprised those with age inaccuracies, consecutive identical responses, or missing responses on an entire side of the questionnaire. The results were analyzed by performing the paired-samples t-test, multivariate analysis of variance, and multiple group latent class analysis.
Results
The learning motivation of the respondents was characterized by an interactive and practical approach, which can be leveraged to enhance their motivation for learning. The key elements of learning motivation include practical interaction, systematic presentation, tailoring to students’ needs, and the expectation of tangible results. Most of them perceived these factors as relevant and significant. However, the level of implementation was mediocre and ordinary, with the scores on the importance of these factors being notably higher relative to those on their implementation.
A significant difference in implementation level was identified across disciplines. Specifically, implementation levels were significantly higher in the field of humanities and social sciences. By contrast, the level of outcome expectations was higher in the field of science and technology. The implementation level among participants from different study localities was not significantly different.
The respondents preferred a combination of lectures and projects as well as lectures and group work. Humanities and social sciences students preferred games, competitions, and outdoor activities, whereas science and technology students preferred lectures by teachers, project work, case studies, and problem-solving activities. The study revealed that teaching needs varied across disciplines and that students’ preferences did not significantly differ among localities.
Recommendations
(1) Because of the distinct habits of the younger generation, implementing learning motivation factors that they value to effectively promote learning engagement is crucial. (2) The intrinsic characteristics of each discipline must also be considered when developing teaching activities. (3) Future research can examine the differences between awareness and implementation or expand the analysis by including additional samples or variables.
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