Have you ever wondered why some students thrive academically while others struggle? In a world full of competition, understanding the driving forces behind student engagement in school is more important than ever.

A recent collaborative study by the Department of Psychology at UIN Sunan Kalijaga and the Faculty of Education at the International Islamic University of Indonesia explores this question by examining the psychometric properties of the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) using an innovative method—the Rasch Model. The research was led by lecturer Very Julianto, who involved several students in the project: Nandia Putri Zuhdi Almakhi (2018), Hana Avetazain (2020), Thifal Maida Wilhelmina (2021), and Destina Amelia Wati (2023). Together, they adapted the scale for Indonesian high school students, uncovering insights that go beyond numbers and charts.

Why did they conduct this study?
Motivation plays a crucial role in influencing students’ engagement, learning outcomes, and academic success. This scale can help educators better understand what drives their students, paving the way for more effective teaching strategies.

What did they find?
The team found that the AMS is suitable for Indonesian students, showing strong reliability and valid measurement evidence. However, they also discovered that the 7-point Likert scale format is not well-suited for high school students in Indonesia. As a result, future research should consider simplifying the scale categories to make them clearer and easier to use.

Why are these findings important?
This improved tool could help both students and educators identify underlying factors behind academic struggles. With a refined instrument, schools may be better equipped to address issues such as burnout, mental health crises, and poor academic performance.

This study was published in Current Psychology (Impact Factor: 2.5, SJR: 1), by Springer Nature, in December 2024.
You can read the article through this link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-024-07142-7.
(Author: DA; Illustrator: TMW)