Motivation in medical education^*

Abstract

Motivation is a concept which has fascinated researchers for many decades. The field of medical education has become interested in motivation recently, having always assumed that medical students must be motivated because of their commitment to highly specific training, leading to a very specific profession. However, motivation is a major determinant of the quality of learning and success, the lack of which may well explain why teachers sometimes observe medical students who are discouraged, have lost interest or abandon their studies, with a feeling of powerlessness or resignation. After describing the importance of motivation for learning in medicine, this Guide will define the concept of motivation, setting it within the context of a social cognitive approach. In the second part of this Guide, recommendations are made, based upon the so-called “motivational dynamic model”, which provides a multitude of various strategies with positive effects on students’ motivation to learn.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Notes on contributors

Thierry Pelaccia, MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine. He practices emergency medicine in the Emergency Department and Mobile Emergency and Resuscitation Service (SAMU), at Strasbourg University Hospital Center (France). He also heads the Center for Training and Research in Health Sciences Education (CFRPS), at Strasbourg Faculty of Medicine.

Rolland Viau, MA, PhD, is Professor Emeritus at Sherbrooke University in Canada. For 30 years, his research and teaching have focused on motivation to learn in a training context.