Motivational Profiles, Teaching Perceptions and Academic Loyalty: A Study of University Students in Kazakhstan
Abstract
Student motivation plays an important role in shaping students’ engagement, satisfaction, and commitment to educational programs. In the context of ongoing transformations in higher education, understanding students’ motivational themes together with their perceptions of teaching quality and learning activity is important for improving educational practice. This study aimed to explore students’ motivational themes, perceived teaching quality, learning activity, and academic loyalty among undergraduate students. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 95 undergraduate students from two universities in Kazakhstan using a structured questionnaire that included both closed- and open-ended questions. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, whereas responses to open-ended questions were examined using thematic content analysis. The analysis identified four major motivational themes (extrinsic, intrinsic, social, and organizational-pedagogical) and four categories describing the perceived strengths of teaching quality. Among the coded motivational themes, extrinsic themes were the most frequent (27.4%), followed by intrinsic (25.8%), social (24.2%), and organizational-pedagogical (22.6%) themes. Approximately 60% of students reported positive perceptions of teaching quality, while the Net Promoter Score indicated a neutral level of academic loyalty (NPS = ?2). Students also demonstrated relatively low levels of independent learning activity, characterized by irregular use of supplementary learning materials and an average of 4.9 hours of self-study per week. Overall, the findings provide descriptive evidence on students’ motivational themes, perceptions of teaching quality, learning activity, and academic loyalty, highlighting the importance of supporting intrinsic motivation, strengthening teaching practices, and fostering students’ independent engagement in learning. Received: 04 May 2026 / Accepted: 06 August 2026 / Published: September 2026