Achievement Motivation in College Students as A Function of Their Belief in Gender Roles

Abstract

This study aims to understand the relationship between college students’ achievement motivation and gender role beliefs. Achievement motivation is the fuel that ignites a passion for learning and helps students stay focused on their studies. Apart from economic and personal factors, a student’s achievement motivation may be affected by social concepts like gender role beliefs (traditional or egalitarian beliefs) too. The pressure on Indian students to balance gender role expectations and family responsibilities might impact their career aspirations. The present study is quantitative research conducted on a sample of 185 students (112 females and 73 males) from Salesian College (Siliguri). The sample was selected using the purposive sampling technique. Standardized scales were employed to collect the data, and the quantitative data was scored based on test norms to obtain raw scores. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS version 26. Based on Pearson’s correlation, a statistically significant correlation between achievement motivation and gender role beliefs was observed in females. Additionally, no gender differences were found in the levels of achievement motivation. The study also highlights the need for interventions and support systems to enhance motivation among college students.