Evaluating Nursing Students’ Academic Motivation through Academic Motivational Scale: A Cross-Sectional Study of Two Colleges

Abstract

Background: Learning is an ongoing process. To achieve desired learning outcomes of the academic journey, students must possess motivation, resilience, and effective communication skills. The positive motivation regarding the academic journey increase students' motivation for learning. This will benefit students to achieve desired results without major obstacles. Objective: To identify the nursing students’ motivation towards their academic journey. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. Nursing students of first & second year were invited to participate voluntarily. Informed consent was employed before data collection. Two Nursing Colleges affiliated with Peoples University of Medical and Health Sciences for Women Nawabshah were selected as a study site and the duration was from 16th February to 28th February 2021. The convenience sampling technique was used to collect data through a structured, 28-item Academic Motivational Scale. Results: The response rate was of the survey was 100% as all the approached participants responded and completed the survey. The results showed that nursing students were extrinsically motivated (mean=3.78 & SD =1.19) than internally motivated (mean=3.41 & SD=1.13). The main reasons for their extrinsic motivation were to seek a good salary job and live a good life. Conclusion: Students were extrinsically motivated therefore the intrinsic motivation needs to be enhanced through improving the image of the profession among students, making them autonomous, self-directed, and listening to them for understanding their life situations.

Keywords

• academic motivational scale
• nursing students
• academic achievement
• intrinsic motivation
• extrinsic motivation