An international validation study of two achievement goal measures in a pharmacy education context

Abstract

BackgroundAchievement goal theory helps us understand what motivates students to participate in educational activities. However, measuring achievement goals in a precise manner is problematic. Elliot and McGregor’s Achievement Goal Questionnaire (AGQ) and Elliot and Murayama’s revised Achievement Goal Questionnaire (AGQ-R) are widely used to assess students’ achievement goals. Both instruments were developed and validated using undergraduate psychology students in the USA.MethodsIn this study, our aims were to first of all, assess the construct validity of both questionnaires using a cohort of Australian pharmacy students and, subsequently, to test the generalizability and replicability of these tools more widely in schools of pharmacy in other English-speaking countries. The AGQ and the AGQ-R were administered during tutorial class time. Confirmatory factor analysis procedures, using AMOS 19 software, were performed to determine model fit.ResultsIn contrast to the scale developers’ findings, confirmatory factor analysis supported a superior model fit for the AGQ compared with the AGQ-R, in all countries under study.ConclusionValidating measures of achievement goal motivation for use in pharmacy education is necessary and has implications for future research. Based on these results, the AGQ will be used to conduct future cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of the achievement goals of undergraduate pharmacy students from these countries.

Measuring achievement goal motivation, mindsets and cognitive load: validation of three instruments’ scores

“…the 2 × 2 framework). These instruments have been used widely in non‐health professions fields and occasionally in medical and pharmacy education . Modest validity evidence for AGQ‐R scores has accumulated in non‐health professions education.…”

Associations between Achievement Goal Orientations and Academic Performance Among Students at a UK Pharmacy School

“…8,11 Elliot and McGregor's achievement goal questionnaire (AGQ) and Elliot and Murayama's revised version (AGQ-R) are widely used to assess students' achievement goals. 8,12 Both instruments were developed and validated on US undergraduate psychology students, although Alrakaf et al's study on pharmacy students in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States argued that the AGQ is a more psychometrically robust measure than the AGQ-R. 13 The "Attitude Toward Learning and Performance in College This Semester" (ATL) questionnaire was introduced by Pieper in 2003. 10 It incorporated questions adapted from the AGQ with 4 additional items previously used by Harackiewicz et al, which measure the additional work-avoidance parameter.…”

Investigating the Relationship Between Pharmacy Students’ Achievement Goal Orientations and Preferred Teacher Qualities

“…To answer all of these questions precisely, we used a budget methodology specifically designed to differentiate between essential and nonessential teacher qualities 33 and a validated measure of achievement motivation. 35 That the enthusiasm quality emerged as one of the most preferred teacher qualities was not a surprise to us. A qualitative study conducted by Alrakaf and colleagues to investigate undergraduate pharmacy students' preferences for teaching indicated, without prompting, that students highly value this quality.…”

“…In addition to these measures, gender and age were included as socio-demographic indicators in the survey. The AGQ is a validated and psychometrically robust instrument 35 intended to measure the 4 types of student achievement goals and contained 12 items. Students rated each item on a 1 to 7 scale (15not at all true of me, 75very true of me).…”