The Relationship between Motivation and Academic Performance in Chiropractic Students

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between motivation and academic performance in chiropractic students. This was a cross-sectional study. Three hundred and sixty-two students were recruited from the 1^st and 3^rd quarters during the 2017-2018 academic year. Out of 362 students, 305 completed the Inventory of School Motivation (ISM). Total scores from the 1^st quarter General Anatomy course and the 3^rd quarter Immunology/Endocrinology course were used to measure the 1^st quarter and 3^rd quarter academic performance, respectively. The mean total motivation score for all students was 28.40 ± 3.79 (mean ± SD). There was no signi?cant difference in total motivation score between students in the two quarters (p > .05). The mean of the 1^st quarter praise scores was statistically significantly higher than those of the 3^rd quarter (p < .05). The means of three motivation subscale scores for females were signi?cantly higher than that for males (task, effort, and praise, p < .05) while the mean competition score for males was signi?cantly higher than that for females (p < .01). The linear analysis demonstrated a weak but statistically significant correlation of task (r = .11, p < .05) and effort (r = .13, p < .05) with academic performance indicating that task and effort were minor predictors of academic outcome (p < .05).There was a weak, but statistically significant positive correlation between the three motivation subscales and academic performance. Female students scored significantly higher on three motivation subscales while males scored higher on one.