Factors that Affect Student Motivation in Organic Chemistry: Measuring Correlations to Gauge Student Attitudes | Chapter 08 | Perspectives of Arts and Social Studies Vol. 1
Motivation is the personal investment
that an individual has reaching a desired state or outcome. In learning,
motivation influences the direction, intensity, persistence, and quality of
learning behaviors in which students engage. To measure the motivation of students
enrolled in undergraduate
organic chemistry courses, a survey was developed to gauge student attitudes
about the course value, self-efficacy,
and class environment. The survey
consisted of twelve statements to which respondents indicated agreement through
a seven point Likert response scale. Since course value, self-efficacy, and a
supportive class environment are all purported to be necessary factors to
positively motivate students, pairwise correlations
between the student
responses were measured
and assessed. Although correlation was generally found in
responses to statements pertaining to a specific factor, the lack of correlation
between these three factors indicates that individual students probably did not
perceive all three factors to be present simultaneously. This may contribute to
students’ non-optimal performance despite
generally positive responses
to individual statements.
Despite responses that indicate all three factors purportedly required
for motivation are present in organic chemistry classes, no correlation between
the three is evidenced upon statistical analysis. The low correlation of
several statements with other statements reveals that students have an overall
low perception of the role of science classes and organic chemistry in their
education.
Author(s) Details
Kathryn Cannon
Department of Chemistry,
Penn State Abington College, 1600 Woodland Road, Abington, PA, 19001, USA.
Maureen Breen
Department of Finance,
Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
Kevin Cannon
Department of Chemistry,
Penn State Abington College, 1600 Woodland Road, Abington, PA, 19001, USA.
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