The effect of motivational determination of Sports Science Faculty students on their academic perfectionism levels

Motivation refers to the condition in which individuals act according to their internal desires to achieve a specific goal. Motivational determination, on the other hand, is an expression of the perseverance and determination shown in achieving this goal. In research on factors affecting students' success in the educational process, individual variables such as academic perfectionism and personality traits emerge as important concepts. Based on this premise, the aim of this study is to contribute to the literature by examining the motivational determination and academic perfectionism levels of students at the Faculty of Sports Sciences in terms of certain variables. The population of the study consists of 1.743 students enrolled at the Faculty of Sports Sciences at Fırat University between 2024-2025, while the sample consists of 396 students selected through a random sampling method. The data collection tool used in the study consists of three parts: The first part includes a demographic information form prepared by the researcher, the second part consists of the "Academic Perfectionism Scale," and the third part includes the "Motivational Determination Scale." The data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical software, and the significance level for the analyses conducted in the study was set at p<0.05. After determining the percentages and frequency values of the data, normal distribution was confirmed, and for comparisons between binary groups, a T-test was applied. For multiple groups, an ANOVA test was used, and to determine the differences between groups, the Tukey test was employed. Pearson Correlation was used to examine the relationship between the two scales, and lastly, Regression analysis was performed to measure the effect between the two scales. As a result, it was found that the students at the Faculty of Sports Sciences had high average levels of academic perfectionism and motivational determination. In terms of gender, male students had higher academic perfectionism levels, while gender had no effect on motivational determination levels. In terms of age, students aged 22-25 exhibited higher academic perfectionism, while younger students had higher motivational determination, especially in areas like goal repetition and overall scores. In terms of department, students in management programs had higher scores in the comparison dimension than students in other departments, and in terms of motivational determination, students in recreation programs scored higher in following current goals. Regarding the class variable, students nearing graduation had higher average scores in academic perfectionism for comparison, idealization, and overall scores. Finally, no significant differences were found in academic perfectionism or motivational determination based on family income. In conclusion, it can be said that students at the Faculty of Sports Sciences have developed their academic perfectionism and motivational determination, and that their gender, age, department, and class have an impact on their academic perfectionism and motivational determination, but family income has no effect.