In the last twenty years, research has indicated that men as a social group are experiencing disproportionate difficulties in higher education. Typically, these problems have been addressed by investigating men as a homogenous sex, rather than employing gender awareness approaches that try to understand how the meaning of masculinity impacts motivation in higher education. This study was specifically interested in the relationship between conformity to masculine norms and academic motivation. Using exploratory canonical correlation analysis, two significant functions were revealed. The first, demonstrated that as conformity to masculine norms predictor variables: primacy of work decreases and playboy and violence increase, three types of intrinsic motivation decrease. The second function indicated that as conformity to masculine norms predictor variables emotional control, disdain for homosexuality, self-reliance, and winning decrease, two intrinsic motivation scores increase. Suggestions are given for further research in this area.
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