Abstract
Abstract This study examined the associations of self-efficacy and emotional intelligence with academic motivation among Afghan students enrolled in Indian higher education institutions, and compared these constructs across age cohorts and Indian states. A cross-sectional correlational survey design was employed, using purposive sampling of 200 Afghan nationals studying in Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. The participants’ mean age was 26.82 years (SD = 2.90), with ages ranging from 18 to 40 years. The state distribution was Karnataka (n = 64, 32.0%), Gujarat (n = 60, 30.0%), Maharashtra (n = 49, 24.5%), and Delhi (n = 27, 13.5%). Standardised instruments were administered in person, including the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test, and the Academic Motivation Scale. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics 27. Multiple regression was used to examine whether self-efficacy and emotional intelligence explained variance in academic motivation. In contrast, MANOVA, followed by univariate ANOVA and Games–Howell post hoc tests where appropriate, was used to examine group differences by age and state. Self-efficacy (β = 0.208, p = .005) and emotional intelligence (β = 0.301, p < .001) were positively associated with academic motivation and jointly accounted for 19.8% of its variance (R² = 0.198), F (2, 197) = 24.255, p < .001. The omnibus multivariate effect of age was not statistically significant; however, exploratory univariate analyses suggested a possible, non-confirmatory pattern in emotional intelligence and academic motivation, with nominally higher scores observed among students aged 28–32 years than among those aged 23–27 years. State-level differences were statistically significant across all three constructs, with Gujarat-based students reporting consistently higher scores. These findings should be interpreted as context-specific associations rather than causal evidence, and they point to a possible need for age-sensitive and state-sensitive institutional support for Afghan students in Indian higher education.