Abstract

Student motivation is an important focus of research in Education. The research in the area has primarily focused on student motivation and academic achievement. There are no significant studies looking at the relationship of motivation with student behavior at tertiary level. This article draws on social exchange theory to examine the connection between motivation and student behavior as a learning outcome. The main premise of the article is that motivation basically depends upon the goal achievement that the students may be allowed to carry out. This means the extent to which creative skills and competence of students are appreciated. Students’ needs for achievement were used as the moderator. Analysis was conducted on the sample of 200 students in one of the leading private universities in the province of Punjab in Pakistan. The findings reveal that an important factor that affects the motivation level is the extent to which students are duly given rewards. Results showed that if motivated, students display positive feelings towards their institute and vice versa. Recommendations in the light of the outcomes were made that the students need to be motivated by providing them more rewards. They should also be provided more encouragement to achieve their goals. This will result in positive behavior from students.

Key words: Goals, incentives, students` behavior, competencies, motivation.