Achievement Motivation for Introductory College Biology

Abstract

In this paper the results of a simultaneous regression analysis concerning achievement motivation for introductory college biology are presented. A total of 287 undergraduates enrolled in introductory-level college biology courses participated in this study. Participants completed a survey consisting of items from the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire, demographic information, and academic achievement. Results indicate that 68% of the variation in biology students’ achievement can be explained by a combination of motivational constructs, intrinsic goals, extrinsic goals, task value, control beliefs, self-efficacy, and test anxiety; with self-efficacy being the strongest predictor. Implications and future directions are discussed.