The nursing student's motivational profile and its relationship to their academic achievement:A person-oriented approach

Different variables such as motivation, self-esteem, and learning methods can affect the learner during learning activity. Therefore, educational research has shown that motivation is one of the essential factors for the improvement of student performances. Using a person-oriented approach, the present study aimed to determine the motivational profiles (clusters) of nursing students and to compare their academic achievement considering these profiles. This study was conducted with a comparative-descriptive method. The participants were 181 undergraduate nursing students in Tabriz Faculty of Nursing, at academic year (2011-2012) who completed the AMS (Academic Motivation Scale). Internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s alpha) of the scale showed that this scale was reliable (α=0.73 to α=0.86). The instrument has 28 questions divided into seven subscales that measure intrinsic motivation (to know, toward accomplishment, to experience stimulation), extrinsic motivation (external regulation, interjected regulation, identified) and motivation. The criterion for academic achievement was students’ total average in the previous semester. The methods of hierarchy cluster analysis, ANOVA, MANOVA were used for data analysis using SPSS software. Cluster analysis revealed three motivational profiles for the students: 9% of the subjects were placed in the low quantity motivation group (low levels of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, but high level of motivation), 46% were placed in the moderate quantity motivation group (moderate levels of intrinsic, extrinsic motivation, and motivation), the high quantity motivation group (44%) (high levels of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, but low level of motivation). The academic achievement of low quantity motivation group was lower than the other clusters (p<0.05). Moreover, female subjects had higher autonomous motivation compared to the male subjects (p<0.01). Fourth grade students had the highest motivation level (p<0.005). IThe findings of this study will help those involved in the field of education make effective attempts by planning helpful educational program, so promote the students’ learning motivations, particularly the senior ones during the academic years.