Assessing Science Motivation for College Students: Validation of the Science Motivation Questionnaire II using the Rasch-Andrich Rating Scale Model

Hye Sun You,Karynne Black,Kyungun Kim,Kyung Woo Min

doi:10.29333/ejmste/81821

Abstract

Motivation in science learning is believed to be essential for students’ pursuit of college-level studies and lifelong interest in science. Yet, the trend of low levels of motivation in learning science continued in college can be linked to a national concern about low scientific literacy levels and science career aspirations. To diagnose the current status of motivation of college students, it is important to have an instrument that can assess students’ motivation. The purpose of the present study is to examine the level of motivation of college students and establish the validity and reliability of a motivation questionnaire-the Science Motivation Questionnaire II (SMQ II) developed by Glynn et al. (2011)-using the Rasch-Andrich rating scale model. The original instrument consists of 25 items allocated in five sub-factors. Both person separation reliability and item separation reliability were excellent. The item separation index indicated good variability of the items and the five rating scale functioned well. All Infit and Outfit measures in the Rasch analysis demonstrated a lack of unidimensionality of the science motivation construct in the SMQ II, which supports the deletion of two items to satisfy the unidimensional structure.

Highlights

There is a persistent national concern about low levels of motivation in learning science and science career aspirations (Bidwell, 2013)
This study provides a methodological contribution by establishing the reliability and validity of a science motivation scale through the Rasch analysis to overcome the limitations of psychometric attempts based on the classical test theory
Dimensionality is an important assumption in item response theory (IRT)

Summary

Introduction

There is a persistent national concern about low levels of motivation in learning science and science career aspirations (Bidwell, 2013). In light of the poor academic outcomes and low motivation to learn science among U.S students, there is a strong interest from science teachers, researchers, and policy makers in understanding the effect of motivation as a factor to explain its crucial role in science learning: how it affects the conceptual change process and scientific process skills, why students make great efforts to learn science, what emotions they feel as they struggle in science courses, and how intensively they strive To answer these questions, first, it is important to examine how learners’ motivation could be assessed and what means to measure motivation are needed

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