A MEDIATION TEST OF SOCIAL INTERACTION AND TECHNOLOGY USE ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MOTIVATED STRATEGY FOR LEARNING AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG CRIMINOLOGY STUDENTS

The present study examined the effects of motivated learning strategies on criminology students’ academic achievement, with Classroom Social Interaction and Technology Use serving as mediating variables. It was conducted in three higher education institutions in Misamis Occidental, Philippines, and involved 420 randomly selected students. Data were gathered through three adapted questionnaires, while students’ grades were used to measure academic performance. The analysis employed mean, standard deviation, Pearson product–moment correlation, and mediation analysis using the Generalized Linear Model (GLM) in Jamovi software. Findings revealed that students exhibited moderately high levels of motivated learning strategies and classroom social interaction, alongside very high levels of technology use, yet their academic performance remained comparatively low. Strong correlations emerged between motivated learning strategies and both mediators, technology use and social interaction, as well as with academic performance. Although both mediators were significantly associated with academic achievement, only Classroom Social Interaction demonstrated a statistically significant mediating effect. The mediation results further indicated that classroom social interaction partially mediated the relationship between motivated learning strategies and academic performance, suggesting that while technology improved access to learning resources, the quality of social interaction within the classroom played a more influential role in determining student success. Overall, the study recommended that criminology instructors and academic program heads foster cooperative, interactive, and socially enriching learning environments to enhance students’ academic outcomes. Article visualizations: