Achievement Motivation, School Engagement, and Academic Burnout among Distance Learning Undergraduate Students

Authors:

Baharuddin Adam Priyatmanto, Suryanto, Dyan Evita Santi

Pages: 9-17

Abstract:

Distance learning has become a dominant mode of higher education in Indonesia since the pandemic. While it offers flexibility and access, it also increases students' vulnerability to academic burnout due to academic and psychological demands. This study examines the links among achievement motivation, school engagement, and academic burnout among undergraduates at Universitas Terbuka Surabaya. Using a quantitative correlational design and a cross-sectional survey, data were collected from 390 students via self-report questionnaires on burnout, motivation, and engagement. Multiple linear regression in SPSS was used to test the effects of motivation and engagement on burnout. The results indicate that achievement motivation and school engagement are jointly associated with academic burnout (F = 96.015, p < 0.001), accounting for 33.2% of the variance in burnout. Achievement motivation emerged as a strong and significant negative predictor of academic burnout (? = ?0.545, p < 0.001), indicating that students with higher achievement motivation experienced lower levels of burnout. In contrast, school engagement was negatively but non-significantly associated with academic burnout (? = ?0.042, p = 0.475). These findings suggest that internal motivational resources play a more critical role than contextual engagement factors in reducing academic burnout among distance learning students. The study highlights the importance of strengthening achievement motivation and self-regulated learning capacities as key strategies for mitigating burnout in higher education delivered through distance learning. The results contribute empirical evidence from an Indonesian Open University context and offer practical implications for institutional policies and student support systems.