Mastery motivation: moving towards a better understanding of college student success
Date
2019
Authors
Bruick, Thomas J., author
Kuk, Linda, advisor
Barrett, Karen, committee member
Felix, Oscar, committee member
Jòzsa, Krisztian, committee member
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Abstract
This comparative and associational quantitative study applied a pragmatic theoretical perspective to the exploration of college student dispositions. First, the study evaluated the Dimensions of Adult Mastery Motivation Questionnaire College (DAMMQ-C) as a measure of mastery motivation in U.S. college students. Secondly, the study explored the relationship between mastery motivation, high school grade point average (HSGPA), ACT composite score, and college academic performance. Finally, the study examined differences in mastery motivation across various student characteristics, including developmental education status. Participants at a four year regional comprehensive, n = 288 , and a two-year community college, n = 37, completed a 35-item adapted version of the Dimensions of Adult Mastery Motivation Questionnaire (DAMMQ) that included three college specific social persistence scales to better align the instrument with the broader student success literature. Principal axis exploratory factor analysis with a varimax rotation was conducted to evaluate the underlying structure of the 35 items. Multiple iterations of hierarchical multiple regression were conducted with the aggregate sample and disaggregated groups based on development education status to explore the ability of dispositional and cognitive factors. to explain variance in college GPA. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the ability of dispositional and cognitive factors to correctly classify participants that did or did not pass all attempted hours. Finally, t-tests and one-way ANOVA were conducted to examine potential difference in DAMMQ-C scale scores by student characteristics. Following exploratory factor analysis, 27 items were retained within seven factor structure: (a) preference for challenge, (b) task persistence, (c) task pleasure, (d) task absorption, (e) social persistence with peers, (f) social persistence with faculty, and (g) academic relationship with faculty. The factors displayed adequate to good internal consistency. Regression analysis results indicated that the DAMMQ-C dispositional scales provided increased explanation of variance in college GPA over and above traditional cognitive factors for the aggregate, developmental, and non-developmental education groups. However, the amount of variance explained varied by group. For the aggregate and non-developmental education groups the DAMMQ-C scales contributed an additional 5% and 2%, respectively. Within the developmental education group, the model failed to significantly explain variance in college GPA until the DAMMQ-C scales were added in the final block. The model then explained 15% of the variance in college GPA. A few statistically significant differences were found based on student characteristics. Developmental education students reported statistically significantly lower scores in academic relationship with faculty, task-related pleasure, and total mastery motivation. Black students reported statistically significantly lower scores in social persistence with peers, social persistence with faculty, academic relationship with faculty, and total mastery motivation. The results supported continued use of dispositional factors in understanding and supporting student success, in faculty and staff training, admission practices, and identifying and developing student success interventions, especially for developmental education students. Finally, the study carried implications for future research through the initial validation of a multi-faceted dispositional instrument that was concise and practical for use in longitudinal studies needed to (in)validate more comprehensive models of college student success.
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Subject
developmental education
student dispositions
mastery motivation
college student success