The Effective Factors on Academic Motivation and Its Level in the First-Level Seminary Students in the Mashad Howzeh

This study investigates the effective factors on academic motivation and its level in the first-level male students in the Mashad Howzeh (Seminary).

The methodology of the research is a descriptive survey one, and its statistical population included all the first level male students at Mashhad Howzeh, who were studying in the academic year 2019-2020, and their schools teachers and officials. Among this statistical population, 139 students from the first to the fifth grade among 5 seminary schools as the sample participated voluntarily. In addition, 12 teachers and officials of these schools were selected as the available sample. ISM Academic Achievement Motivation Questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with the teachers, principals and officials at the Mashhad Howzeh (Seminary) were used to collect data. One-sample T-Test, Friedman Ranking Test, and Analysis of Variance were used to analyze the data.

The findings showed that 6.5% of students had low motivation, 88.5% had moderate motivation, and 5% had high motivation. Among the components of academic motivation, the average of the tendency to work and study, tendency to progress, purposefulness, self-esteem, self-reliance, spiritual rewards and social cooperation was desirable.

Furthermore, the findings of the interviews with the schools officials and teachers of these students showed that the most important factors in reducing motivation are the lack of awareness of goal and the career future, the large volume of courses and, in some cases, disproportionate ones, and choosing an unmotivated and inappropriate friend. From the their teachers’ point of view, presenting the courses in a practical way, developing personality in the students and giving them dignity, having an appropriate role model, and paying attention to the spiritual affairs and recourse (tawassul ) are the most important factors in increasing students’ motivation.