Finch Paul
Chair, Health Sciences and Wellness Programs, Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning.
Int J Ther Massage Bodywork. 2009 Mar 19;2(1):3-7.
In previous research, the motivation of massage therapy students was observed to change between commencement of their professional studies and entry into practice. The change involved a decrease in intrinsic motivation (associated with altruism) and an increase in extrinsic motivation (associated with the prospect of external rewards). This paper reports on the influences underlying those changes.
The research used a qualitative design in which data were collected during a series of individual in-depth semi-structured interviews with massage therapy graduates, just after completion of a 2-year (2200-hour) full-time program. After informed consent was obtained, interviews were taped, transcribed, and analyzed, resulting in identification of a number of themes and subthemes.
Previously noted changes in student motivation involved an increase in the influence of extrinsic rewards and a decrease in motivation related to helping and working with people. The findings of the present study suggest that these changes are explained by two main themes, each with a number of subthemes. The first theme, The Reality of Life in Practice, is associated with two subthemes: Debt Load, and Effectiveness in Achieving Positive Health Outcomes. The second theme, An Evolving Self-Image As a Health Care Professional, is associated with three sub-themes: Rigor/Intensity of the Educational Program, Developing Perspective of Massage Therapy As a Career, and Interaction with Faculty.
The data suggest that the change in motivation noted in previous work (increased extrinsic motivation and decreased intrinsic motivation) is influenced in different ways by each identified theme. Although schools must be vigilant in ensuring that their programs support the humanistic mission of health care, the present study indicates that the change in motivation noted in earlier work is not sinister. Rather, it appears to be related to the development of a realistic perspective of life as a health care practitioner, which departs from the more naïve expectations of students when they commence their professional studies.
在先前的研究中，观察到按摩治疗专业学生的动机在其专业学习开始到进入实践阶段之间发生了变化。这种变化包括内在动机（与利他主义相关）的下降和外在动机（与外部奖励的前景相关）的增加。本文报告了这些变化背后的影响因素。
该研究采用定性设计，在一个为期两年（2200小时）的全日制课程结束后，对按摩治疗专业毕业生进行了一系列个人深度半结构化访谈，收集数据。在获得知情同意后，对访谈进行录音、转录和分析，从而确定了一些主题和子主题。
先前指出的学生动机变化包括外在奖励影响的增加以及与帮助他人和与人合作相关的动机的下降。本研究的结果表明，这些变化可以由两个主要主题来解释，每个主题都有若干子主题。第一个主题是“实践中的生活现实”，与两个子主题相关：债务负担和实现积极健康结果的有效性。第二个主题是“作为医疗保健专业人员不断演变的自我形象”，与三个子主题相关：教育计划的严格程度/强度、将按摩治疗视为一种职业的观念的形成以及与教师的互动。
数据表明，先前研究中指出的动机变化（外在动机增加，内在动机下降）受到每个确定主题的不同方式的影响。尽管学校必须警惕确保其课程支持医疗保健的人文使命，但本研究表明，早期工作中指出的动机变化并非恶意的。相反，它似乎与作为医疗保健从业者对生活的现实看法的发展有关，这种看法与学生开始专业学习时更为天真的期望有所不同。
