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Visible Learning™
Visible Learning MetaX™
Version 1.4 – Updated February 2026

Motivation

Overview

  • Influence: Motivation
  • Domain: Student
  • Sub-Domain: Motivational approach/orientation
  • Potential to Accelerate Student Achievement: Potential to accelerate
  • Influence Definition: There are many internal and external factors that motivate and stimulates students to be continually engaged, interested, and committed to school learning or to make an effort to attain a goal.

Evidence

  • Number of meta-analyses: 20
  • Number of studies: 1,240
  • Number of students: 3,799,499
  • Number of effects: 5,015
  • Weighted mean effect size: 0.46
  • Robustness index: 5

Meta-Analyses

Meta-Analyses
Journal Title Author Article Name Year Published Variable Number of Studies Number of Students Number of Effects Effect Size
American Educational Research Journal Uguroglu & Walberg Motivation and Achievement: A Quantitative Synthesis 1979 Motivation 40 36,946 232 0.34
Zeitschrift Fur Entwicklungspsychologie Und Padagogische Psychologie     Schiefele, Krapp, & Schreyer Metaanalyse des Zusammenhangs von Interesse und schulischer Leistung. (Meta-analysis of the relation between interest and academic achievement) 1993 Interest and achievement 21 NA 121 0.65
Learning and Individual Differences Crede & Phillips A meta-analytic review of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire 2011 Motivation strategies 67 19,900 2,158 0.24
Psychological Bulletin Cerasoli, Nicklin, & Ford Intrinsic motivation and extrinsic incentives jointly predict performance: A 40-year meta-analysis 2014 Intrinsic motivation 125 196,778 125 0.43
Book Ozen The Effect of Motivation on Student Achievement 2017 Motivation 205 772,903 205 0.56
Journal of Business Psychology Bauer, Orvis, Ely, & Surface Re-Examination of Motivation in Learning Contexts: Meta-Analytically Investigating the Role Type of Motivation Plays in the Prediction of Key Training Outcomes 2016 Motivation 19 2,314 19 0.14
Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport Chen, Chen & Zhu Are K–12 Learners Motivated in Physical Education? A Meta-Analysis 2012 Motivation on physical education outcomes 29 NA 283 0.43
Psychological Bulletin von Stumm & Ackerman Investment and Intellect: A Review and Meta-Analysis 2013 Investment in learning 112 22,621 77 0.24
Journal of Educational Psychology Schwinger, Wirthwein, Lemmer & Steinmayr Academic Self-Handicapping and Achievement: A Meta-Analysis 2014 (Lack of) Self-handicapping on achievement 36 25,550 49 0.47
Psychological Bulletin Jansen, Meyer, Wigfield, & Möller Which student and instructional variables are most strongly related to academic motivation in K-12 education? A systematic review of meta-analyses 2022 Motivation on achievement 18 2,544,213 51 0.46
Japanese Psychological Research Okada Effects of Perceived Autonomy Support on Academic Achievement and Motivation Among Higher Education Students: A Meta-Analysis. 2021 Intrinsic autonomy motivation 16 6,116 16 0.37
Psikodimensia Waluyohadi Meta-analysis study of achievement motivation and academic achievement.  2019 Academic motivation 14 39,059 14 0.70
Education Sciences Quílez-Robres, Moyano, & Cortés-Pascual Motivational, Emotional, and Social Factors Explain Academic Achievement in Children Aged 6–12 Years: A Meta-Analysis. 2021 Motivation 37 15,734 37 0.68
Konselor Adiputra, & Mujiyati Motivasi dan prestasi belajar siswa di Indonesia: Kajian meta-analisis.  2017 Motivation 20 2,591 20 0.46
Review of Education Goksu & Bolat Does the ARCS motivational model affect students' achievement and motivation? A meta-analysis. 2021 Motivation 38 NA 110 0.74
Educational Research Review Fong, Krou, Johnston-Ashton, Hoff, Lin, & Gonzales LASSI's great adventure: A meta-analysis of the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory and academic outcomes 2021 Motivation 186 71,855 219 0.43
Psychological Bulletin Rusz, Le Pelley, Kompier, Mait, & Bijleveld Reward-driven distraction: A meta-analysis 2020 Low or neutral vs. high rewards 91 2,362 91 0.35
Review of Educational Research Toste, Didion, Peng, Filderman, & McClelland A meta-analytic review of the relations between motivation and reading achievement for K–12 students. 2020 Motivation and reading 132 NA 1,154 0.45
Psikodimensia Emillio & Waluyohadi Meta-analysis study of achievement motivation and academic achievement. 2019 Achievement motivation 14 39,059 14 0.70
Jurnal Pendidikan Matematika Arili, Turmudi, & Dasari he effect of learning motivation towards students' mathematical problem-solving ability: Meta-analysis correlational study. 2024 Learner motivation in math 20 1,498 20 1.62
TOTAL/AVERAGE 1,240 3,799,499 5,015 0.52
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