This article investigates how project-based learning (PBL) technology fosters students’ motivational readiness for independent learning in higher education. Building upon self-determination theory, the study analyses cognitive, affective, and contextual factors that transform externally prompted project activity into sustained autonomous motivation. A quasi-experimental design was implemented at two universities, encompassing 428 second-year undergraduates in engineering and education programmes. Over a sixteen-week semester, the experimental cohort engaged in discipline-embedded projects supported by structured coaching sessions that explicitly modelled goal-setting, progress monitoring, and reflective self-assessment. Quantitative instruments—the Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire and the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire—were administered pre- and post-intervention, while qualitative data were captured through classroom ethnography and in-depth interviews. Results demonstrate significant increases in identified regulation, intrinsic motivation, and strategic self-regulation within the experimental group, accompanied by qualitative evidence of enhanced metacognitive dialogue and collaborative knowledge construction. The discussion articulates a theoretical model in which PBL operates as an environmental catalyst that satisfies basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, thereby internalising the value of independent learning. Practical recommendations highlight the importance of iterative scaffolding, formative feedback loops, and an institutional culture that legitimises project outcomes as authentic academic achievements.  

Project-based learning, independent learning, student motivation

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