| College leaders are tasked with developing methods of motivating the increasing numbers of diverse students to increase the equity and success. University success is assessed through summaries of retention and graduation rates. A lack of academic motivation among diverse learners influences retention, graduation rates, and the profit margin of colleges. A sample of 75 students at a rural northern New York nursing program was examined using The Motivation and Engagement Scale (MES). The academic success of these students was evaluated by analyzing the grade point average of groups according to age, gender, and ethnicity. The purpose of the study was to explore how gender, ethnicity, and age differences relate to academic motivation of students. Overall, the statistically significant differences were minimal and may offer evidence that academic motivation is not affected by the age, gender, or ethnicity. Research might be improved by further study of academic motivation in larger nursing schools, or studying many nursing programs on a larger scale. Teachers may want to engage in pedagogies that assist in developing academic motivation among male students, international students, and younger students. Increased academic motivation should improve goal attainment and personal achievement among students, thus increasing university retention and graduation rates that lead to increased profits and a competitive edge within the education market. |
