VUmc School of Medical Sciences, Research in Education, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
LEARN! Research Institute for Learning and Education, Faculty of Psychology and Education, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
BMC Med Educ. 2017 Nov 28;17(1):233. doi: 10.1186/s12909-017-1079-9.
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.
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).
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.
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.
少数民族医学生在临床前和临床教育的知识和技能评估中表现不如多数族裔群体。动机是影响医学生学习和学业表现的重要因素，但目前对此研究不足。本研究旨在比较少数民族（西方和非西方）和多数族裔（荷兰）学生的两种动机（自主和控制）类型，并探讨其与学业成绩的关系。
在一项横断面研究中，邀请荷兰某所医学院的所有学生在 2015-2016 学年完成一项包括学术自我调节问卷的调查，该问卷用于测量自主和控制动机。采用 Kruskal-Wallis 检验比较动机，采用 One-Way ANOVA 比较表现。采用线性回归分析确定动机与表现（平均绩点；GPA）之间的关系。
回复率为 38.6%（n=947）。非西方学生的自主动机（AM）在临床前和临床教育中均高于荷兰学生（p<0.05）。西方学生的控制动机高于荷兰学生（临床前教育；p<0.05）。仅在荷兰学生（临床前教育；β=0.33，p<0.05）和西方学生（临床教育；β=0.57，p<0.05）中，自主动机与 GPA 呈正相关。
我们的研究结果显示，多数族裔和少数民族群体之间的动机类型存在显著差异。动机与表现的关系也因族裔群体而异。我们发现自主动机对 GPA 有积极影响。需要进一步研究以揭示潜在机制。
