Original Research Article
Year: 2022 | Month: April | Volume: 12 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 44-54
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20220405
A Correlation Analysis on Academic Motivation Developed, and Its Relationship with Gender and Year of Study among Undergraduate Physiotherapy Students in Malaysia
Kiruthika Selvakumar1, Fang Hui Xian2, Ilayaraja A3
1Lecturer, Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Sungai Long, Selangor, Malaysia.
2Year 3 Student, Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman,Jalan Sungai Long, Selangor, Malaysia.
3Assistant Professor, Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Sungai Long, Selangor, Malaysia.
Corresponding Author: Kiruthika Selvakumar
ABSTRACT
Background and Objective: Academic motivation plays an essential role in students’ learning and educational improvement. However, research that focuses on students’ motivation in health science disciplines, especially on physiotherapy students, is scarce. Therefore, this study aims to identify the most predominant type of academic motivation developed, and its relationship with gender and year of study in physiotherapy students in Malaysia.
Methods: A total of 353 students from public and private universities were included in this cross-sectional study. Academic Motivation Scale – College Version (AMS-C 28) was used to measure academic motivation of subjects and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale – 21 Items (DASS-21) was used to assess mental health of subjects.
Results: The highest mean motivation score was observed for item 3 (5.83 ± 1.23) while lowest mean score was observed for item 26 (2.20 ± 1.50). Significant gender differences were observed in 12 items. Significant differences were observed for items 13, 18, and 25 when comparing mean rank motivation scores across years of study (p-values .046, .005, and .003 respectively).The motivation type that displayed the highest total frequency is EMID (n= 159).There was a significant (p= .025) weak negative relationship between gender and academic motivation (r= -0.14).There was a non-significant (p= .471) moderate negative relationship between year of study and academic motivation (r= -0.46).The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress were found to be 46.74% , 59.77%, and 35.97% respectively.
Conclusion: The most predominant type of motivation developed by physiotherapy undergraduates in Malaysia, mainly among those from peninsula Malaysia, is extrinsic motivation regulated through identification. Gender was found to be significantly correlated to academic motivation, where females are more likely to develop more intrinsic forms of motivation. However, the strength of the relationship is weak. There was no significant correlation between year of study and academic motivation among physiotherapy undergraduates in Malaysia. Certain measures should be implemented in order to enhance and maintain high academic motivation levels which would subsequently lead to better academic success and student wellbeing.
Key words: Academic motivation, physiotherapy, correlation, gender, year of study.