Determining the Relationship Between Motivation Towards Learning and Academic Performance Among Medical Students

Abstract

Objective: To find out significant parameters to  measure  student's  learning  motivation  and  examine their relationship with academic performance.

Methods: A quantitative correlational study was conducted on 225 MBBS students from May 2018 to     June 2018 to examine above mentioned relationship. Stratified random sampling technique was used to draw sample out of accessible population. Data  were  collected  after  informed  consent  from  stu-  dents using a demographic survey and Modified Archer's Health Professions  Motivation  Survey (MAHPMS). Information regarding student's scores  in  their  professional  examinations  was  obtained  from examination department with due permission. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS 21. Pearson co-efficient of co-relation of four scales of MAHPMS and scores of students were calculated. Scatter plots were used to calculate  relationship  for  each  scale  of  MAHPMS  i.e.  goal  orientation,  preference for difficult or easy task, learning strategies and locus of control (independent variables) and marks of students (dependent variable).

Results: Goal orientation and marks were 91.7% positively correlated, preference for difficult or easy was 45.6% positively correlated with marks, learning strategies and marks were 48.2%  and  locus  of control and marks were 25.7% positively correlated.

Conclusion: Results of the study confirmed that there is positive relationship between student's learning motivation as measured  by  four  sub-scales  of  MAHPMS  and  academic  performance  of  students as measured by marks.