The Student Motivation Scale: Further Testing of an Instrument that Measures School Students' Motivation

This study examines the refined Student Motivation Scale applied to a sample of 2561 Australian high school students. The Student Motivation Scale measures six motivation boosters and four motivation guzzlers. Analysis of the data reveals a strong factor structure comprising reliable factors. Students scored relatively higher in self-belief, value of schooling, and learning focus but also relatively higher in anxiety. Senior and junior high school students reflect a more adaptive pattern of motivation than middle high school students—as do girls over boys. Boosters are more strongly (positively) correlated with mathematics and English achievement while guzzlers are more strongly (negatively) associated with literacy and numeracy. Data analysis also reveals ethnicity effects and effects associated with socioeconomic status. Taken together, examination of the data shows that the Student Motivation Scale is psychometrically sound and can be usefully implemented to determine groups of students at risk of disengagement, disinterest, and underachievement.

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