Motivation and learning strategies as predictors of academic maladjustment among first-year engineering students.

Introduction: This study investigates the relationships between academic motivation, learning strategies, and academic maladjustment among first-year undergraduate students at a science and technology university, with the aim of understanding factors that influence the transition to the university environment. Methods: A total of 383 first-year students from the National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest participated in the study. Data were collected online using questionnaires assessing reasons for attending university, learning strategies, and academic maladjustment, including procrastination, test anxiety, lack of honesty, Machiavellian attitudes, neuroticism, and somatization. Correlational analyses and multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between these variables. Results: Expectations and Lack of Alternatives/Inertia emerged as consistent predictors of academic maladjustment, whereas Personal-Intellectual Development, Career/Materialism, and Humanitarian orientations showed limited independent effects. Learning strategies made a relatively small contribution to maladjustment after controlling for motivation. When examined independently, concrete/practical strategies were negatively associated with maladjustment, whereas memorization was positively associated with maladjustment, although these associations were weak. Discussion: The findings suggest that academic motivation may play a more important role than learning strategies in the academic adjustment of first-year students. The results support the value of integrated interventions combining motivation assessment, counseling, and the development of effective learning strategies to support students' autonomy, academic adjustment, and social integration.