Quartey et.al 2019 Motivation of Clinical Year Students in the School of Allied Health Sciences at the University of Ghana
Abstract
Background: Health professions require self-directed and life-long learners as practitioners and motivation is instrumental in producing these kinds of health professionals. Not much is known about motivation of students in Ghana’s health professions education. This study therefore sought to create a foundation for further research into this area and also to highlight some useful information for formulating policies for improved clinical educational environments that will enhance more mastery-oriented goals in students. Therefore the objective of this study was to investigate the motivations of under-graduate clinical students at the School of Biomedical and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana.
Methodology: This cross-sectional survey was made up of 210 third and fourth year allied health students recruited with a convenience sampling method from the University of Ghana. The Modified Archer’s Health Professions Motivation Scale was used to obtain data on goal-orientation and learning strategies from the students and analysed using SPSS Version 17. Friedman test was used to investigate the differences of motivation within scales at 95% significance level.
Results: Mastery goal orientation was most represented (50.13%) among students. Internal locus of control and meta-cognitive learning were more represented (67.82% and 73.93 % respectively). Students also rated the preference for difficult tasks higher (54.23%). However, there was no significant difference between the preference for difficult task of the third-year group and fourth year group (p = 0.733).
Conclusion: Students of the school have an orientation for mastery of the course content and believe they have control over their success.
Recommendation: A further study that involves interviews that will specify each gender’s reasons for their academic behaviour for greater insight into the motivation of the students in the Ghanaian setting is proposed.
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