The role of psychology students’ motivational profiles in a problem-based learning curriculum

This study investigated the effect of individual differences in students’ motivational profiles for going to college on their subsequent experiences in a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum (N = 736). Our results identified five motivational profiles: low-quantity, poorquality, moderate, good-quality, and high-quantity profile. These profiles were similar to prior research investigating motivational profiles in non-PBL settings. We further found that students’ motivational profiles were associated with their experience of positive affect, their engagement in class, and their academic achievement. Overall, the results indicated that students with low-quantity motivational profiles experienced less positive affect, were less engaged, and performed worse in a PBL setting. These results highlight the importance of considering prior individual differences when examining the effectiveness of PBL.