Interventions for the Development of Intrinsic Motivation in University Online Education: Systematic Review—Enhancing the 4th Sustainable Development Goal

Background: The development of quality education, as stated by the United Nations in the 4th Sustainable Development Goal of the 2030 Agenda, is a very relevant aspect to work on, and specifically, motivation can play an important role. Consequently, the development of intrinsic motivation (IM) in university education and searches for possible interventions have increased exponentially in the last decade. However, no reviews have been published analyzing the interventions and the results obtained. Therefore, the purpose of this review was to systematically analyze the development of IM in online education through the different intervention programs carried out in university teaching. Methods: A systematic review of PubMed, Web of Sciences and Scopus was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. Results: Of the 255 studies initially identified, 17 were thoroughly reviewed, and all interventions and outcomes were extracted and analyzed. Most of the interventions achieved better outcomes after implementation. Five types of possible courses of action to promote IM have been identified. Conclusions: It is worth highlighting the unanimity found regarding the importance of proposing specific approaches based on the development of IM in university online teaching since it promotes satisfaction regarding studying and greater involvement of students.