National College Student Study Survey (NCSS) 2021: Learning Motivation among Ethnic Minority College Students

Learning motivation significantly impacts students' learning engagement, academic outcomes, and satisfaction, playing a crucial role in the education of minority college students. Cultivating positive learning motivation among minority college students not only aligns with the principle of "educating for the Party and nurturing talents for the nation" but also fosters ethnic unity and strengthens their sense of the "Chinese national community," thereby providing spiritual support for realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. This study, based on the 2021 National College Student Survey database, examines a sample of 14,489 minority undergraduate students to explore the latent profiles of their learning motivation and conducts multiple-group comparisons based on three background variables: family location, gender, and academic year. The findings reveal: (1) The majority of minority college students in the sample exhibit high intrinsic learning motivation, while 45.1% show a moderate level of negative learning motivation; (2) 77.8% of minority college students prioritize physical and mental health as their most valued extrinsic learning motivation; (3) Urban minority students exhibit higher levels of negative learning motivation compared to their rural counterparts and place greater emphasis on extrinsic motivations related to personal interests; (4) Female minority students demonstrate higher levels of negative learning motivation than male minority students and prioritize extrinsic motivations related to economic and family factors; (5) First-year minority students show relatively lower intrinsic learning motivation and place greater emphasis on gaining respect from others, while third- and fourth-year students exhibit higher levels of negative learning motivation.