Self-Determination Motivation and Self-Efficacy as Determinants of Academic Engagement among Caregiving Students

This study determined the influence of self-determination motivation and self-efficacy on the academic engagement of caregiving students at Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School. The main objective was to determine the levels of self-determination motivation, self-efficacy and academic engagement, examining the significant relationships between self-determination motivation, self-efficacy and academic engagement. Additionally, the study aimed to identify which domains of self-determination motivation and self-efficacy to learn might significantly influence academic engagement. A quantitative-correlational design was employed, involving 134 respondents from caregiving senior high school students in Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School. The statistical tools utilized included mean, Pearson r, and multiple regression analysis. The results indicated a high level of self-determination motivation among senior high school students in terms of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Similarly, there was a high level of self-efficacy in terms of belief in personal ability and belief that ability grows with effort. Furthermore, the study revealed a high level of academic engagement in vigor, dedication and absorption. The findings also established a high correlation and significant relationship between self-determination motivation and academic engagement, as well as self-efficacy and academic engagement, leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis. All domains of self-determination motivation and self-efficacy significantly influenced academic engagement as perceived by caregiving senior high school students. Consequently, teachers might consider adapting strategies that enhance students’ self-determination motivation and develop self-efficacy to nurture students’ academic engagement. Implementing such methods aligned with the study findings would help students strengthen their self-determination motivation, enhance their self-efficacy, and cultivate deeper academic engagement for sustained excellence.