Testing the MUSIC Model of Academic Motivation through confirmatory factor analysis

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to provide empirical evidence to confirm the theoretical factor structure of the MUSIC Model of Academic Motivation that was developed to help instructors understand how current motivation research can be applied to instruction. We hypothesised the MUSIC model as a hierarchical five-factor correlated model and compared its fit to alternative models. Our research question was: Is a hierarchical five-factor correlated model a valid representation of the MUSIC model? The study included 1228 undergraduate students from three different types of university courses. We measured the constructs associated with the main components of the MUSIC model: empowerment, usefulness, success, interest and caring. Results of the confirmatory factor analyses provided strong evidence that the hierarchical five-factor correlated model was a valid representation of the MUSIC model. Thus, the MUSIC model consists of components that are theoretically and empirically correlated, yet distinct.

Keywords:

• motivation
• engagement
• MUSIC model
• autonomy
• utility
• expectancy
• interest
• value
• belongingness
• learning

Acknowledgment

This paper is based on research supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. HRD# 0936704. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Notes

1. When we examined the structure coefficients (available upon request), we found no items fixed to zero, with structure coefficients higher than the structure coefficients for the items hypothesised to load on a given factor.

2. See footnote 1.

3. See footnote 1.

4. For this last set of comparisons, evidence was found for invariance across all three courses; however, the covariance matrix from the face-to-face course data was found to be non-positive definite for these particular comparison models; thus, only the comparison of the online and engineering courses was considered valid.