Student Motivation in Remote Laboratories: A Multi-Institution Self-Determination Theory Study in Food Science Education

Abstract

Remote laboratories (RL) have expanded access to food science laboratory education while shifting students into more autonomous learning environments. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) suggests that motivation in such settings depends on whether psychological needs, particularly competence, are satisfied as students navigate hands-on learning with reduced instructor presence. This cross-sectional, multi-institution study examined motivational profiles of food science students (n = 110) who completed take-home RL kits at six U.S. universities, using the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory. In a linear mixed model accounting for institutional clustering (n = 109), perceived competence, utility value, and effort investment were each uniquely and positively associated with interest; in the corresponding single-level model, the three constructs jointly accounted for 57% of the variance in interest. A comparison by prior food engineering coursework (n = 94) yielded a significant multivariate effect that no single construct accounted for. Discriminant function analysis showed that the groups differed on a contrast between perceived competence and interest: students without prior coursework reported competence exceeding their interest, whereas students with prior coursework reported interest matching or exceeding their competence (d = 0.79). This contrast held after adjustment for institution, although differences in the level of competence alone did not. Pre- and post-laboratory quizzes, which showed low reliability, indicated a small, non-significant gain in conceptual knowledge among the 68 students with matched scores. Findings provide multi-institution evidence that competence- and value-related processes covary with interest in autonomous, hands-on laboratory learning, and indicate that prior experience is associated with the balance between competence and interest rather than with the level of either.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Education Sciences, 2026 · DOI ↗