Developing a Comprehensive Theoretical Framework for Student Intrinsic Motivation: A Systematic Review of the Literature

An examination of the theoretical foundations and empirical evidence regarding intrinsic motivation highlights a critical need for further investigation into behavioral models of learners within educational environments. Consequently, the current study systematically reviewed theories and research related to intrinsic motivation to develop a comprehensive theoretical model and framework. Methodologically, this research is a secondary study categorized as a systematic review. The research corpus comprises peer-reviewed studies and authoritative databases addressing various facets of intrinsic motivation published between 2011 and 2024. From an initial pool of 1,723 identified articles, 49 were selected for final analysis. Drawing upon social-cognitive theories of intrinsic motivation, this analytical study classifies the predictors and correlates of motivation into four psychological domains—personality, emotional, cognitive, and contextual-environmental—and categorizes their outcomes as either internal or external. This classification yielded a comprehensive theoretical framework that emphasizes the dynamic interaction between motivational antecedents and their subsequent consequences.