Disciplinary Variations in Academic Motivation among Vietnamese Undergraduates: A Study Using the AMS Scale

Pham Ai Linh and Hoang Thi Tham
Additional contact information
Pham Ai Linh: International Training Faculty, Thai Nguyen University of Technology
Hoang Thi Tham: International Training Faculty, Thai Nguyen University of Technology

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 2025, vol. 9, issue 6, 6548-6556

Abstract: Academic motivation plays a pivotal role in influencing student engagement, learning behaviors, and academic achievement in higher education. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study aimed to compare the levels of intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation among undergraduate students enrolled in three academic disciplines: Mechanical Manufacturing Technology, Electrical Engineering, and Computer Engineering. A total of 187 students from a Vietnamese university participated in the study using a Vietnamese-adapted version of the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS), a widely recognized instrument for measuring educational motivation. Descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Tukey HSD post-hoc tests were employed to examine group differences across motivational dimensions. The results revealed no statistically significant differences in intrinsic motivation or amotivation among the three majors, indicating a shared pattern of internal drive and disengagement across fields. However, extrinsic motivation showed a statistically significant difference, with students in Electrical Engineering reporting higher levels compared to those in Mechanical Manufacturing Technology. These findings suggest that while intrinsic motivation may remain relatively stable across disciplines, extrinsic factors such as perceived career prospects and curriculum structure can vary depending on the academic context. Additionally, the internal consistency reliability of the Vietnamese version of the AMS was confirmed with high Cronbach’s alpha values across all subscales (α > .83), supporting its validity in the local educational setting. The study highlights the importance of considering disciplinary contexts when developing motivational support strategies and curriculum designs in higher education. Tailoring educational approaches to match the motivational tendencies of specific academic programs may enhance student engagement and learning outcomes.

Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/ ... ssue-6/6548-6556.pdf (application/pdf)
https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/arti ... using-the-ams-scale/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bcp:journl:v:9:y:2025:issue-6:p:6548-6556

Access Statistics for this article

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science is currently edited by Dr. Nidhi Malhan

More articles in International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science from International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS)
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Dr. Pawan Verma ().