Academic Motivation, Perceived Employability, Academic Outcomes, and Well-Being in Greek Higher Education

Background Student motivation in higher education is critically linked to academic success and personal well-being. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory, this study examines how basic psychological need satisfaction, academic motivation, and perceived employability interrelate and influence students’ academic performance and well-being. Methods A cross-sectional survey of N  = 701 Greek undergraduate students was conducted. Standardized questionnaires assessed basic psychological need (BPN) satisfaction, academic motivation (AM), perceived employability (PE), academic outcomes (AO; self-reported academic performance), and well-being (WB). Structural equation modeling (SEM) tested a hypothesized model in which BPN satisfaction fosters academic motivation and perceived employability, which in turn enhance academic performance and well-being. Results Descriptive analyses indicated high internal reliabilities for all multi-item scales (α = .84–.92). Bivariate correlations supported the theoretical links (e.g., BPN satisfaction was positively correlated with academic motivation, r  ≈ .50, and with well-being, r  ≈ .45, p  < .001). The SEM showed excellent fit (χ²/df = 2.18, CFI = .959, TLI = .942, RMSEA = .041). As hypothesized, academic motivation was positively predicted by basic need satisfaction (β = 0.61, p  < .001), perceived employability (β = 0.31, p  < .001), and academic performance (β = 0.27, p  < .001). Academic motivation in turn positively predicted perceived employability (β = 0.42, p  < .001), academic performance (β = 0.55, p  < .001), and psychological well-being (β = 0.38, p  < .001). Academic performance also had a direct positive effect on well-being (β = 0.40, p  < .001). Together, the model explained 56% of the variance in academic motivation and 48% in well-being. Conclusions These findings underscore the pivotal role of satisfying students’ autonomy, competence, and relatedness needs in fostering adaptive outcomes. Supportive learning environments that enhance intrinsic academic motivation not only improve academic success but also heighten students’ confidence in their employability and their overall psychological well-being. Interventions aimed at need satisfaction and motivation may yield dual benefits for educational and career development outcomes in university students.