Factors Affecting the Effectiveness of the UC Reward System Toward a Sustainable Motivation Framework for Student Success

Authors

  • Dave B. Polistico Philippine Merchant Marine Academy

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11594/

Keywords:

academic performance, academic perseverance, institutional support, maritime cadets, maritime education, Philippines

Abstract

Reward systems are commonly applied in tertiary institutions, although their effectiveness in maritime colleges has seldom been empirically evaluated. In this study, the UC Reward System, an academic incentives scheme implemented at the University of Cebu Maritime Education and Training Center for almost two decades, is analyzed in terms of its effectiveness and its external variables in relation to the academic perseverance and academic performance of third-year cadets. The quantitative descriptive-correlational approach was used. Survey questionnaire and document review of the academic records of 236 third-year cadets served as sources of data, with the use of Pearson product-moment correlation to analyze the relationships among the variables. Cadets regarded the reward system as effective, more so in its performance aspect than its perseverance aspect. However, the results of the correlations yielded a different finding, with only the perseverance-oriented aspect of perceived effectiveness significantly correlated with actual perseverance behavior, but not with academic performance. As for the factors, intrinsic motivation and institution-related factors were found to be significantly related to academic perseverance, while extrinsic motivation, despite having the highest endorsement score of all motivational orientations, is not significantly related to any of the outcomes. Institution-related factors, on the other hand, is the sole variable significantly related to both outcomes. It may be concluded that the institutional context around a reward system makes for greater contribution to cadet outcomes compared to the motivational orientations of the cadets. 

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abukasim, S., Sutrisno, H., & Rohaeti, E. (2025). Comparison of cognitive achievement model: Teacher learning character and student learning character with school climate moderation, PLSPredict approach. Frontiers in Education, 10, 1570760. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1570760

Acabal, R. D., Camingawan, E. P., & Baticulon, G. L. (2024). Motivation and expectation of freshmen cadets in maritime education at Saint Joseph Institute of Technology. Journal of Maritime Research, 21(1), 55–66. https://www.jmr.unican.es/jmr/article/view/654

Atienza, A., Flores, J., Manalo, P., Bacay, T., Tamayo, M. R., & Laguador, J. (2017). Relationship between maritime students' attitude towards school-related factors and academic performance. Asia Pacific Journal of Maritime Education, 3(1), 31–37. https://research.lpubatangas.edu.ph/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/APJME-2017.3.1.04.pdf

Chen, Z. (2023). The influence of school's reward systems on students' development. Journal of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, 8, 1822–1827. https://doi.org/10.54097/ehss.v8i.4591

Credé, M., Tynan, M. C., & Harms, P. D. (2017). Much ado about grit: A meta-analytic synthesis of the grit literature. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 113(3), 492–511. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000102

Datu, J. A. D. (2017). Sense of relatedness is linked to higher grit in a collectivist setting. Personality and Individual Differences, 105, 135–138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.09.039

Datu, J. A. D., Valdez, J. P. M., & King, R. B. (2019). Perseverance counts but consistency does not! Validating the Short Grit Scale in a collectivist setting. Current Psychology, 38(3), 794–804. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-015-9374-2

Davy, J. G., & Noh, C.-K. (2016). An empirical study on motivation and performance of maritime trainees and its implication for maritime education and training. Journal of Navigation and Port Research, 40(5), 285–290. https://doi.org/10.5394/KINPR.2016.40.5.285

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2271-7

Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087–1101. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.92.6.1087

Hinkle, D. E., Wiersma, W., & Jurs, S. G. (2003). Applied statistics for the behavioral sciences (5th ed.). Houghton Mifflin.

Hjellvik, S., & Mallam, S. (2023). Integrating motivated goal achievement in maritime simulator training. WMU Journal of Maritime Affairs, 22, 209–240. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13437-023-00309-2

International Maritime Organization. (2021). International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978, as amended. IMO Publishing.

Kuvaas, B., Buch, R., Weibel, A., Dysvik, A., & Nerstad, C. G. L. (2017). Do intrinsic and extrinsic motivation relate differently to employee outcomes? Journal of Economic Psychology, 61, 244–258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2017.05.004

Lau, Y.-Y., & Ng, A. K. Y. (2015). The motivations and expectations of students pursuing maritime education. WMU Journal of Maritime Affairs, 14(2), 313–331. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13437-015-0075-3

Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2002). Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation. American Psychologist, 57(9), 705–717. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.57.9.705

Maritime Industry Authority. (2024). The Philippine Maritime Industry Development Plan. https://marina.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/MIDP-2028-as-of-29-April-2024.pdf

Mendoza, R., Godinez, R., Cabatuan, E., Jr., Chiong, F., & Bureros, R. (2024). A study on students' motivation for enrollment in maritime programs. Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 27(10), 1164–1170. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14129388

Ramos, C. (2024). Factors affecting the academic performance of Pangasinan Merchant Marine Academy's Bachelor of Marine Transportation students. International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences. https://ijels.com/upload_document/issue_files/8IJELS-10320244-Factors.pdf

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, 101860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101860

Sánchez-Beaskoetxea, J., Basterretxea-Iribar, I., & Sotés, I. (2019). Human factors and maritime safety: The role of motivation and training. Safety Science, 120, 64–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2019.06.015

Taber, K. S. (2018). The use of Cronbach's alpha when developing and reporting research instruments in science education. Research in Science Education, 48(6), 1273–1296. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-016-9602-2

University of Cebu. (n.d.). UC scholarships. Retrieved January 31, 2026, from https://uc.edu.ph/?page_id=5438

Downloads

Published

24-07-2026

Data Availability Statement

The data supporting the findings of this study are not publicly available due to privacy and ethical restrictions, as they contain confidential cadet survey responses and academic records. De-identified data may be made available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request and with the permission of UC-METC.

How to Cite

Polistico, D. B. (2026). Factors Affecting the Effectiveness of the UC Reward System Toward a Sustainable Motivation Framework for Student Success. International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research, 7(7), 3212–3220. https://doi.org/10.11594/