Welcome to ASMCUE in Seattle, Washington! Registered attendees are able to download the mobile app onto their phone, create a log-in, and make a personalized schedule and chat with attendees. Questions? Email [email protected]
Log in to add sessions to your schedule and sync them to your phone or calendar.
Student motivation is a determinant of their engagement and persistence in learning activities. There is limited evidence on how students perceive their motivation in undergraduate microbiology courses in modules with different content. This study investigated the extent to which students' perceptions of the motivational climate in an undergraduate Food Microbiology course (a) varied across three modules, and (b) predicted their motivation. The motivational climate was assessed with the five components of the MUSIC Model of Motivation (i.e., eMpowerment, Usefulness, Success, Interest, and Caring) using the MUSIC Inventory. The inventory was administered to students following three course modules with different content at a U.S. university. Responses from 49 students were analyzed. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to evaluate changes in MUSIC constructs across modules. Pearson correlation was used to examine relationships between MUSIC constructs, and multiple linear regression was used to identify predictors of Motivation and Effort. Open-ended responses were coded to identify attributes contributing to students' motivational perceptions. Students reported positive perceptions across all three modules with no significant differences in any MUSIC constructs over time (p > 0.05). Students perceived Caring as highest (M = 5.76/6), and Interest as lowest (M = 4.50/6). Across all modules, Motivation was most strongly correlated with Interest (r = 0.60), followed by Usefulness (r = 0.52). Regression analysis demonstrated that Interest (p < 0.01) and Usefulness (p < 0.05) were the strongest predictors of motivation in all three modules. These findings suggest that students felt motivated due to their relationship with the instructor support (Caring), in-class activities and assignments (Interest), real-world applications (Usefulness), and having some decisions within the course (eMpowerment). These findings suggest that students in other science-related courses could benefit from instruction consistent with the MUSIC model.
