Developing Mathematics Motivation Scale for the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

The objective of this study was to develop a valid and reliable mathematics motivation scale (MMS) for UAE students in grades 4 through 12 based on the self-determination theory. A total of 1,481 students (713 boys and 768 girls) from the UAE participated in this study. The process of developing the MMS involved: a) Development of an initial item pool, b) investigating the item-type of motivation membership, c) examining the appropriateness of the administration instructions and the items phrasing, d) and exploring various types of validity and reliability of the MMS. The results indicate that the MMS has acceptable levels of content validity and structure validity. The results also provided evidence that the MMS has acceptable levels of internal consistency and temporal stability.