Assessing changes in academic motivation across medical training stages: a longitudinal study in Malaysia

Journal

Annals of Medicine

Year

2026

Materials & Methods

The Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) was administered to 292 students from a five-year undergraduate medical programme in Malaysia across three stages: entry, post pre-clinical, and after two years of clinical training. Three cohorts (2016–2018) were followed longitudinally over seven years (2016–2022). Analysis involved confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to validate AMS and assess reliability using composite reliability (CR), followed by repeated measures ANOVA to examine motivational changes.

Results

CFA confirmed the AMS as valid and reliable. At entry, students showed moderate to high extrinsic and intrinsic motivation with low amotivation. Amotivation rose from Year 1 (M = 6.64) to Year 3 (M = 8.51) and Year 5 (M = 10.27). Identified regulation remained high in Year 1 (M = 23.37) and Year 3 (M = 23.57) before declining in Year 5 (M = 22.47). External and introjected regulation peaked in Year 3 (M = 18.92, 19.42) then dropped or stabilized in Year 5. Intrinsic motivation declined steadily across all domains from Year 1 to Year 5 (all p < .05).

Conclusion

The decline in intrinsic motivation and rise in amotivation highlight challenges in sustaining motivation through medical training. These trends may impact academic performance, mental health, and professional growth, underscoring the need for curriculum adaptations, mentorship, and stress-reduction initiatives to better support students.

Resources and Links

Phone Number: +603 2781 4519 / +603 2781 4520

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07853890.2025.2608480#abstract

Consultant Name

Dr Jerilee Mariam Khong Azhary

[email protected]

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