Evaluation of motivational status and its correlation with academic burnout among senior students of Tabriz Dental School in 2018

Abstract

Background: Motivation is a process in which individuals are encouraged to carry out actions to fulfil certain goals. Thus, it is very crucial for choosing a major and then continuing it. On the other hand, burnout is a condition in which emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion is caused by excessive, extended stress. This study aims to investigate the difference between students' motivation in the last year and the first year, to study the academic burnout level of the students; and to examine the relationship between these two parameters. Methods: This study was conducted longitudinally on dental students of Tabriz university of medical science, class of 2012, once in the first and then in the final semester. All students (n = 110) were invited to participate. Data collection tools were the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Student Version (MBI-SS), and Vallenrand academic motivation scale. Independent t-test and Pearson correlation coefficient test were used for statistical analysis of data. Significance level was 0.05. Results: The results showed that gender had statistically significant effect on extrinsic motivation and amotivation (p<.05) that in both semesters male students were less extrinsically motivated. Pearson correlation coefficient test results showed that there was a significant negative correlation between intrinsic motivation of students in final semester and burnout level. Conclusion: Findings showed that although there was a decrease in motivation level, students had high motivation and low burnout level in final semester. Extrinsic motivation was higher than that of intrinsic at both stages of the study.