RESUMO
PURPOSE: This study used a self-deterministic approach to explore the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI), academic motivation (AM), and achievement among health science students. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in three cities of Saudi Arabia (Dammam, Riyadh, and Jeddah). A convenience sample of 450 students was incorporated using the multistage cluster sampling technique. The online survey contained three sections: students' basic data and academic achievement level, the modified Schutte self-report inventory, and the Academic Motivation Scale lowercase. RESULTS: This study revealed moderate overall scores for EI (57.1%), AM (55.6%), and grade point average (GPA) (57.6%). The overall EI score, its domains, and GPA had significant positive correlations with overall AM and intrinsic and extrinsic motivation (p < .01). Amotivation had an insignificant correlation with GPA (p < .05), but it was negatively correlated with EI and its domains (p < .01). Multiple regression analysis proved that EI domains predicted 5.0% of GPA variance; emotions appraisal and expression (ß = .02, p = .024), regulation (ß = .11, p = .032), and utilization (ß = .24, p < .01). EI domains also predicted 26.0% of AM variance; emotions appraisal and expression (ß = .11, p = .04), regulation (ß = .33, p < .01), and utilization (ß = .23, p <.01). Moreover, AM predicted 4.0% of the variance in GPA; intrinsic (ß = .25, p = .004) and extrinsic (ß = .11, p = .022) motivation. AM also predicted 25.0% of the variance in EI: intrinsic (ß = .34, p < .01) and extrinsic motivation (ß = .26, p = .026). CONCLUSION: EI and AM have a bidirectional influence on each other, significantly shaping the GPA of health sciences students in Saudi Arabia, where intrinsic motivation has a predominant role. Thus, promoting students' AM and EI is recommended to foster their academic achievement.
