Assessment of Academic Motivation Level of Undergraduate Medical Students of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan

Abstract

Objective To assess the academic motivation level of undergraduate medical students of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. Methods A total of 378 Poonch Medical College (PMC) students were included in this cross-sectional study. The academic motivation scores of the study subjects were measured using a 28-item, five-point Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) questionnaire originally developed by Deci and Ryan (1985). The tool was checked for internal consistency and was interviewer-administered. Motivation level was quantitatively presented and compared across gender and medical years. Results The highest mean motivation score (4.04 ± 2.71) was observed for the statement "Because this will help me make a better choice regarding my career orientation." The following statements showed a statistically significantly higher mean motivation level in females as compared to males: "Because eventually, it will enable me to enter the job market in a field that I like" (p .008) and "for the pleasure that I experience when I read interesting authors" (p .001). But for the statement, "I once had good reasons for going to college; however, now I wonder whether I should continue," males showed a higher motivation level (p. 0.19). A statistically significant difference in mean motivation level was seen across medical years for the following statements: "For the intense feelings I experience when I am communicating my own ideas to others," "For the pleasure that I experience when I read interesting authors," "Because this will help me make a better choice regarding my career orientation," "For the satisfaction I feel when I am in the process of accomplishing difficult academic activities," and "Because I want to show myself that I can succeed in my studies" (p-value <.05). Conclusion This study analyzed mean motivation scores for all AMS questions. The study identified that the most common motivational factor for pursuing medical education was because the students thought this will help them make a better choice regarding their career orientation.

Academic Motivation in Undergraduate Nursing Students: An Analytical Cross-sectional Study

“…Consistent with the ndings of Fatima et al ( 18) and Javaeed et al (7), this study also found that the students of year I were motivated by Extrinsic Motivation External Regulation (EMExR), with the highest mean motivation score. This nding indicates that external rewards or punishment affect students' behaviour.…”

“…They are more persistent under challenging situations and experience less depression (5,6). Academic motivation can be divided into intrinsic and extrinsic motivation as well as amotivation when both are absent (2,7). Intrinsic motivation is about doing something for joy or satisfaction (5,8).…”

“…In contrast, extrinsic motivation is about doing something to obtain incentives or avoid punishment (2,9). Extrinsically motivated nursing students are more engaged in activities to obtain good grades because they want to obtain good jobs and secure their future (7,10).…”

Background factors associated with academic motivation for attending medical school immediately after admission in Japan: A single‐center study

“…In the Japanese context, several papers have highlighted the high internal validity and reproducibility of the translated Japanese AMS 22,23 . Furthermore, it has been applied to international medical students not only in Europe and the United States, but also in numerous countries in the Middle East and Asia, proving its high reliability and validity 24–27 …”

“…22,23 Furthermore, it has been applied to international medical students not only in Europe and the United States, but also in numerous countries in the Middle East and Asia, proving its high reliability and validity. [24][25][26][27] The AMS classifies motivation into three categories: intrinsic motivation (IM), extrinsic motivation (EM), and amotivation. IM refers to the pleasure or satisfaction one derives from working on an object for its own sake.…”