The Construct Validity of Vallerand’s Academic Motivation Scale (AMS)

Salem Ali Salem Algharaibeh

doi:10.1155/2021/5546794

Abstract

It seems that the academic motivation structure is affected by cultural factors. Many studies have examined the factorial structure of the academic motivation scale (AMS), and the results showed different factorial structures of AMS (e.g., Taghipour Ali Hosein et al. (EL-yazidi and Louzani, 2017) concluded that the scale consists of two dimensions; Natalya and Purwanto (2018) concluded that it consists of three dimensions; Alruaili (2020) concluded that it consists of four dimensions; Abu Awad (2009) concluded that the scale consists of six dimensions). The AMS is one of the most widely used academic motivation measures across the world. It was built on the basis of the self-determination theory. The current study aimed at investigating the factorial structure of the AMS using the exploratory factor analysis (PCA) and the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The AMS was applied to a sample of 401 university students. The results of PCA suggested a three-factor solution (intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and Amotivation), and CFA was conducted for three competing structures (three factors, five factors, and seven factors); the results confirmed the three-factor solution for the AMS. The results also showed that the AMS dimensions had good alpha coefficient values which were greater than the acceptable cut-off value of 0.7. In conclusion, the Jordanian version of the AMS is a valid scale that consists of 24 items loaded on three factors (intrinsic, extrinsic, and Amotivation) for measuring academic motivation.

Highlights

Motivation is a state of tension that activates living organisms to carry out certain patterns of behaviour, which lead to the satisfaction of the motive or at least the reduction of its strength so that the balance is achieved in the organism.is balance is the rest as a result of reducing tension [1]
EL-yazidi and Louzani [39] checked the factorial structure of Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) using an exploratory factor analysis method, and the results showed two factors: intrinsic and extrinsic motivation
Academic Motivation Scale (AMS). e theoretical framework for the AMS depends on the self-determination theory of Deci and Ryan [19, 48], which assumes the existence of multiple factors of academic motivation, arranged along the continuum of the self-determination as follows: intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and Amotivation

Summary

Introduction

Motivation is a state of tension that activates living organisms to carry out certain patterns of behaviour, which lead to the satisfaction of the motive or at least the reduction of its strength so that the balance is achieved in the organism.is balance is the rest as a result of reducing tension [1]. As a result of the complexity of the concept of academic motivation and its central role in the educational field, many studies have attempted to capture most aspects of academic motivation within the framework of the self-determination theory, which determines that human behaviour is formed through the interaction between an individual and his/her social environment and affects the motivation of individuals due to the psychological and natural needs that they try to satisfy, regardless of the social environment they belong to [8] Many applications of this theory have been found in several fields, including the educational and academic fields [9]

Methods

Results

Conclusion