Psychometric examination of the academic motivation scale using a Vietnamese university student sample

Abstract

Massification of higher education in Vietnam has brought about both achievements and various issues. Efforts have been made to improve the quality of teaching and learning in higher education, but very little attention has been paid to the issue of student motivation. This study aims to contribute to this area of knowledge by testing the applicability of the academic motivation scale (AMS) in assessing Vietnamese university students' motivation. This was achieved via evaluation of the scale's psychometric properties using data obtained from 648 first year students from a high-ranking university. Using a different approach in model testing, results indicated that the revised seven factor AMS with 23 items best fitted the data. All subscales had satisfactory reliabilities. Thus, the revised AMS can be used to study Vietnamese university students' motivation.