Journal of Education and Health Promotion

Motivation and academic achievement in medical students

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

. Alireza Yousefy
. Gholamreza Ghassemi
. Samaneh Firouznia

Khorasgan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.

Abstract
Background: Despite their ascribed intellectual ability and achieved academic pursuits,
medical students’ academic achievement is influenced by motivation. This study is an endeavor to examine the role of motivation in the academic achievement of medical students.
Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional correlational study, out of the total 422 medical
students, from 4th to final year during the academic year 2007–2008, at School of Medicine,
Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, 344 participated in completion of the Inventory of
School Motivation (ISM), comprising 43 items and measuring eight aspects of motivation. The
gold standard for academic achievement was their average academic marks at pre-clinical and
clinical levels. Data were computer analyzed by running a couple of descriptive and analytical tests including Pearson Correlation and Student’s t-student. Results: Higher motivation
scores in areas of competition, effort, social concern, and task were accompanied by higher
average marks at pre-clinical as well as clinical levels. However, the latter ones showed greater
motivation for social power as compared to the former group. Task and competition motivation
for boys was higher than for girls. Conclusion: In view of our observations, students’ academic
achievement requires coordination and interaction between different aspects of motivation.

Keywords

Academic achievement
medical students
motivation
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Journal of Education and Health Promotion
Volume 2, Issue 1
Winter 2012
Pages 1-4

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