The Influence of Teachers' Pedagogical Competence on Student Learning Motivation: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the effect of teachers' pedagogical competence on student learning motivation through a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach. Pedagogical competence is a basic skill that determines the quality of learning planning, implementation, and evaluation, while learning motivation is a key factor that influences student engagement, perseverance, and achievement. Although various empirical studies have examined the relationship between these two variables, the results are still diverse and do not provide a comprehensive synthesis, especially in the context of primary education. Through a search of articles in the Scopus database, 13 articles were found that met the inclusion criteria, namely a focus on teacher pedagogical competence, learning motivation, the primary-secondary education context, open access articles, and publication between 2015 and 2025. Content analysis was carried out through the stages of reduction, categorization, interpretation, and conclusion drawing.

The results show that teachers' pedagogical competence has a significant effect on student learning motivation through three main channels: (1) the quality of learning design and delivery, (2) teachers' interpersonal relationships and communication, and (3) teachers' ability to integrate technology into learning. In addition, didactic, communication, and techno-pedagogical competencies emerged as the most consistent aspects related to intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. These findings reinforce Self-Determination Theory (SDT), which asserts that teachers play a direct role in meeting students' basic psychological needs. This study provides an empirical basis for the development of teacher competency improvement programs and opens up opportunities for further research with a stronger methodological approach.