Fostering heightened interest and engagement in engineering, cultivating diversity, equity, and inclusivity within the engineering workforce, and equipping students to thrive in an industry characterized by rapid technological advancements stand as pivotal objectives in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. Motivation exerts a profound influence on students across diverse academic fields. It is intricately intertwined with their level of engagement in the subjects they are studying, the inherent complexities of their chosen career paths, the career opportunities they foresee, and the potential of being misdirected toward a field they may not truly enjoy. To this end, understanding the key factors driving motivation is of the utmost importance, not only to increase retention and reduce attrition, but to also enhance students' learning, performance, and success. Even though the critical role of motivation in students' learning and overall academic success is widely acknowledged, there remains a notable gap in research examining the factors contributing to students' struggles in finding the necessary motivation for effective learning and outstanding performance, along with strategies to address this deficiency. This research aims to fill this gap by exploring the key factors driving STEM students' motivations for learning while simultaneously investigating the key factors hindering this motivation. To achieve these goals, this study surveyed STEM students at one of the largest minority-serving institutions in the United States to identify the key factors motivating and demotivating them, as well as to pinpoint strategies for enhancing motivation. The survey results revealed that several academic, financial, and social factors play a significant role in students' motivation, including career difficulty, perceptions of future and career opportunities, financial difficulties, lack of adequate work-life balance, and subsequent burnout. In light of these results, this research proposes several strategies that could potentially help students increase their motivation, including peer mentoring and/or tutoring, financial aid workshops, career fairs, and time management workshops. The findings of this study serve educational institutions and stakeholders by providing them with strategies that could help motivate students and contribute to their academic success. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2024.
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