ANXIETY AND MOTIVATION AS PREDICTORS OF LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS

Abstract

Anxiety and motivation are key variables for understanding learning in higher education. Anxiety can be triggered by assessments, academic workload, and expectations, affecting attention, working memory, and the ability to emotionally recover from setbacks. In contrast, intrinsic motivation drives curiosity, persistence, and self-regulation. The objective of this research was to develop theoretical constructs regarding anxiety and motivation as predictors of learning among students at the University of Pamplona. Furthermore, this study was grounded in the interpretive paradigm and a qualitative approach, employing a phenomenological method, as it views the human being as an indivisible, singular, and unique entity that addresses circumstances in a personalized and singular manner. Additionally, the study relied on key informants, who are faculty members of the psychology program at the University of Pamplona. The data collection techniques used were focus groups and semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that anxiety during adolescence can significantly affect academic performance by interfering with attention, memory, and information processing. In conclusion, it is important to emphasize that the dynamics of learning are characterized by their active nature. The learner is not a passive recipient, but rather an agent who seeks, questions, compares, and synthesizes. This activity generates emerging meaning that did not previously exist and gives rise to more complex mental structures.