Intrinsic
motivation exists where students are motivated by the enjoyment derived from the
activity rather than any extrinsic reward such as financial gain (Lin et al., 2003; Ryan and
Deci, 2000a; Vallerand and Bissonnette, 1992). Evidence suggests that students who
are intrinsically interested in their studies are more likely to engage with the content
in such a way that they achieve high quality learning outcomes (Entwistle and
Ramsden, 1983).