Motivation and academic performance of medical students from ethnic minorities and majority: a comparative study (2024)

Abstract

Background: Medical students from ethnic minorities underperform in knowledge and skills assessments both in pre-clinical and clinical education compared to the ethnic majority group. Motivation, which influences learning and academic performance of medical students, might play an important role in explaining these differences, but is under-investigated. This study aimed to compare two types of motivation (autonomous and controlled) of ethnic minority (Western and non-Western) and majority (Dutch) students, and their association with academic performance. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, all students of a Dutch medical school were invited to complete a survey including the Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire, measuring autonomous and controlled motivation, in the academic year 2015-2016. Motivation was compared using Kruskal-Wallis test and performance was compared using One-Way ANOVA. Linear regression analysis was used to determine the association between motivation and performance (grade point average; GPA). Results: The response rate was 38.6% (n = 947). Autonomous motivation (AM) of non-Western students was higher than that of Dutch students in pre-clinical and clinical education (p < 0.05). Controlled motivation was higher in Western students than in Dutch students (pre-clinical education; p < 0.05). AM was associated with a higher GPA for Dutch (pre-clinical education; β = 0.33, p < 0.05) and Western students (clinical education; β = 0.57, p < 0.05) only. Conclusions: Our results show significant differences in the type of motivation between the ethnic majority and minority groups. The association of motivation with performance also differs between ethnic groups. We found that AM has a positive influence on GPA. Further research is needed to uncover the underlying mechanisms.

Original languageEnglish
Article number233
JournalBMC Medical Education
Volume17
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 28 Nov 2017
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Academic performance
  • Diversity
  • Ethnicity
  • Medical students
  • Motivation

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Isik, U., Wouters, A., ter Wee, M. M., Croiset, G., & Kusurkar, R. A. (2017). Motivation and academic performance of medical students from ethnic minorities and majority: a comparative study. BMC Medical Education, 17(1), Article 233. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-017-1079-9

Isik, Ulviye ; Wouters, Anouk ; ter Wee, Marieke M. et al. / Motivation and academic performance of medical students from ethnic minorities and majority: a comparative study. In: BMC Medical Education. 2017 ; Vol. 17, No. 1.

@article{5e800d41140640afa19ee162f4ff4792,

title = "Motivation and academic performance of medical students from ethnic minorities and majority: a comparative study",

abstract = "Background: Medical students from ethnic minorities underperform in knowledge and skills assessments both in pre-clinical and clinical education compared to the ethnic majority group. Motivation, which influences learning and academic performance of medical students, might play an important role in explaining these differences, but is under-investigated. This study aimed to compare two types of motivation (autonomous and controlled) of ethnic minority (Western and non-Western) and majority (Dutch) students, and their association with academic performance. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, all students of a Dutch medical school were invited to complete a survey including the Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire, measuring autonomous and controlled motivation, in the academic year 2015-2016. Motivation was compared using Kruskal-Wallis test and performance was compared using One-Way ANOVA. Linear regression analysis was used to determine the association between motivation and performance (grade point average; GPA). Results: The response rate was 38.6% (n = 947). Autonomous motivation (AM) of non-Western students was higher than that of Dutch students in pre-clinical and clinical education (p < 0.05). Controlled motivation was higher in Western students than in Dutch students (pre-clinical education; p < 0.05). AM was associated with a higher GPA for Dutch (pre-clinical education; β = 0.33, p < 0.05) and Western students (clinical education; β = 0.57, p < 0.05) only. Conclusions: Our results show significant differences in the type of motivation between the ethnic majority and minority groups. The association of motivation with performance also differs between ethnic groups. We found that AM has a positive influence on GPA. Further research is needed to uncover the underlying mechanisms.",

keywords = "Academic performance, Diversity, Ethnicity, Medical students, Motivation",

author = "Ulviye Isik and Anouk Wouters and {ter Wee}, {Marieke M.} and Gerda Croiset and Kusurkar, {Rashmi A.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2017 The Author(s).",

year = "2017",

month = nov,

day = "28",

doi = "10.1186/s12909-017-1079-9",

language = "English",

volume = "17",

journal = "BMC Medical Education",

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Isik, U, Wouters, A, ter Wee, MM, Croiset, G & Kusurkar, RA 2017, 'Motivation and academic performance of medical students from ethnic minorities and majority: a comparative study', BMC Medical Education, vol. 17, no. 1, 233. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-017-1079-9

Motivation and academic performance of medical students from ethnic minorities and majority: a comparative study. / Isik, Ulviye; Wouters, Anouk; ter Wee, Marieke M. et al.
In: BMC Medical Education, Vol. 17, No. 1, 233, 28.11.2017.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Motivation and academic performance of medical students from ethnic minorities and majority: a comparative study

AU - Isik, Ulviye

AU - Wouters, Anouk

AU - ter Wee, Marieke M.

AU - Croiset, Gerda

AU - Kusurkar, Rashmi A.

N1 - Publisher Copyright:© 2017 The Author(s).

PY - 2017/11/28

Y1 - 2017/11/28

N2 - Background: Medical students from ethnic minorities underperform in knowledge and skills assessments both in pre-clinical and clinical education compared to the ethnic majority group. Motivation, which influences learning and academic performance of medical students, might play an important role in explaining these differences, but is under-investigated. This study aimed to compare two types of motivation (autonomous and controlled) of ethnic minority (Western and non-Western) and majority (Dutch) students, and their association with academic performance. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, all students of a Dutch medical school were invited to complete a survey including the Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire, measuring autonomous and controlled motivation, in the academic year 2015-2016. Motivation was compared using Kruskal-Wallis test and performance was compared using One-Way ANOVA. Linear regression analysis was used to determine the association between motivation and performance (grade point average; GPA). Results: The response rate was 38.6% (n = 947). Autonomous motivation (AM) of non-Western students was higher than that of Dutch students in pre-clinical and clinical education (p < 0.05). Controlled motivation was higher in Western students than in Dutch students (pre-clinical education; p < 0.05). AM was associated with a higher GPA for Dutch (pre-clinical education; β = 0.33, p < 0.05) and Western students (clinical education; β = 0.57, p < 0.05) only. Conclusions: Our results show significant differences in the type of motivation between the ethnic majority and minority groups. The association of motivation with performance also differs between ethnic groups. We found that AM has a positive influence on GPA. Further research is needed to uncover the underlying mechanisms.

AB - Background: Medical students from ethnic minorities underperform in knowledge and skills assessments both in pre-clinical and clinical education compared to the ethnic majority group. Motivation, which influences learning and academic performance of medical students, might play an important role in explaining these differences, but is under-investigated. This study aimed to compare two types of motivation (autonomous and controlled) of ethnic minority (Western and non-Western) and majority (Dutch) students, and their association with academic performance. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, all students of a Dutch medical school were invited to complete a survey including the Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire, measuring autonomous and controlled motivation, in the academic year 2015-2016. Motivation was compared using Kruskal-Wallis test and performance was compared using One-Way ANOVA. Linear regression analysis was used to determine the association between motivation and performance (grade point average; GPA). Results: The response rate was 38.6% (n = 947). Autonomous motivation (AM) of non-Western students was higher than that of Dutch students in pre-clinical and clinical education (p < 0.05). Controlled motivation was higher in Western students than in Dutch students (pre-clinical education; p < 0.05). AM was associated with a higher GPA for Dutch (pre-clinical education; β = 0.33, p < 0.05) and Western students (clinical education; β = 0.57, p < 0.05) only. Conclusions: Our results show significant differences in the type of motivation between the ethnic majority and minority groups. The association of motivation with performance also differs between ethnic groups. We found that AM has a positive influence on GPA. Further research is needed to uncover the underlying mechanisms.

KW - Academic performance

KW - Diversity

KW - Ethnicity

KW - Medical students

KW - Motivation

U2 - 10.1186/s12909-017-1079-9

DO - 10.1186/s12909-017-1079-9

M3 - Article

SN - 1472-6920

VL - 17

JO - BMC Medical Education

JF - BMC Medical Education

IS - 1

M1 - 233

ER -

Isik U, Wouters A, ter Wee MM, Croiset G, Kusurkar RA. Motivation and academic performance of medical students from ethnic minorities and majority: a comparative study. BMC Medical Education. 2017 Nov 28;17(1):233. doi: 10.1186/s12909-017-1079-9

Motivation and academic performance of medical students from ethnic minorities and majority: a comparative study (2024)

FAQs

What are the factors affecting academic performance of medical students? ›

Conclusion: Supervision by parents, academically competent peers, apposite institutional environment, pertinent use of media and good teaching strategies mostly affect the academic performance.

What are the three reasons for ethnic differences in educational achievement? ›

CULTURAL DEPRIVATION
  • Language. Language is a fundamental aspect that influences one's social status, educational attainment, and cultural experiences. ...
  • Family and Support. One principal factor to consider when examining ethnic minority underachievement is family and support. ...
  • Cultural Differences.

What is the correlation between stress levels among undergraduate medical students and their motivation for studying medicine? ›

Stress levels among undergraduate medical students were found to correlate with their motivation to study medicine. Intrinsic motivation needs to be promoted, which would help students view their accomplishments more positively and help protect them from burnout.

What are the top three factors affecting students academic performance? ›

The results revealed that low entry grades, family support, accommodation, student gender, previous assessment grade, student internal assessment grade, GPA, and students' e-learning activity are the most significant factors influencing students' academic performance.

What is the biggest health issue affecting the academic performance of college students? ›

The biggest challenges that impacted students' academic performance were depression (29%) and anxiety (40%) with women experiencing more academic challenges due to depression (31%) and anxiety (43%) relative to men (22%, 29%).

How does ethnic studies benefit students? ›

By asking students to examine and reflect on the history, struggles, and contributions of diverse groups within the context of racism and bigotry, ethnic studies can foster the importance of equity and justice.

What are the educational barriers among race and ethnicity? ›

These educational disparities (1) mirror ethnic and racial disparities in socioeconomic status as well as health outcomes and healthcare, (2) are evident early in childhood and persist through the K-12 education, and (3) are reflected in test scores assessing academic achievement, such as reading and mathematics, ...

Which ethnicities perform the best in education? ›

Data for the 2021 to 2022 school year shows that:
  • the average Attainment 8 score for all pupils in England was 48.8 out of 90.0.
  • pupils from the Chinese ethnic group had the highest average score out of all ethnic groups (66.1), followed by pupils from the Indian ethnic group (61.3)
Oct 17, 2023

What is the relationship between academic self efficacy and academic burnout in medical students? ›

The data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance and regression analysis. Results: Academic self-efficacy was correlated negatively with academic burnout explaining 37% of academic burnout. Conclusion: Academic self-efficacy (especially self-confidence) had the greatest effect on academic burnout.

Why are medical students so stressed? ›

Medical students are overloaded with a tremendous amount of information. They have a limited amount of time to memorize all the information studied. The overload of information creates a feeling of disappointment because of the inability to handle all the information at once and succeed during the examination period.

What is the relationship between academic stress and motivation? ›

In respect of the relationship between academic stress and motivation, pressure from study, workload, and despondency were negatively associated with autonomous motivation and positively associated with controlled motivation and amotivation.

What factors determine academic achievement in high achieving undergraduate medical students? ›

Results: Factors influencing high academic achievement include: attendance to lectures, early revision, prioritization of learning needs, deep learning, learning in small groups, mind mapping, learning in skills lab, learning with patients, learning from mistakes, time management, and family support.

What is the impact factor of academic medicine? ›

What are the factors influencing academic performance of nursing students? ›

Factors identified as influencing the academic performance of students include the socio-economic background of parents or guardians, lecturer–student relationships, academic support services, demographic factors, quality of nurse educators, availability of facilities in the school, the language of instruction and ...

What are the factors affecting academic pressure of students? ›

The factors of academic pressure mentioned in the paper include family-related pressures, scholarship requirements, financial burdens, competition in class, and course-related stress.

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