Science Motivation Questionnaire (SMQ)

The 30-item Science Motivation Questionnaire (SMQ) assesses six components of students' motivation to learn science in college or high school courses. The SMQ assesses six components of motivation: intrinsically motivated science learning, extrinsically motivated science learning, relevance of learning science to personal goals, responsibility (self-determination) for learning science, confidence (self-efficacy) in learning science, & anxiety about science assessment.

Average Review: 4 (4.0)

Supplemental Information:

Assessment Type:

30 Likert-type items

Scale:

5-point Likert-type scale

Publication Date:

Sep 16, 2010

Respondent:

High school and college students

Domain(s) Evaluated:

Engagement, Attitude / Behavior

Sample items:

The science I learn is more important to me than the grade I receive.

Reliability:

Student scores were reliable and related to students' high school preparation in science, GPA in college science courses (r = 0.56, p < 0.01), and belief in the relevance of science to their careers (r = 0.51, p < 0.01).

Validity:

An exploratory factor analysis provided evidence of construct validity. Findings indicate that the SMQ is reliable in its internal consistency (= 0.93).

Frequency:

Sometimes

Administration time:

15 minutes

Requires a Computer:

No

Requires Internet Access:

No

Primary reference:

Glynn, S.M., & Koballa, T.R. (2006). Motivation to learn college science.
Mintzes, J. J., & Leonard, W. H. (2006). Handbook of College Science Teaching, pp. 25-32. Arlington, VA: National Science Teachers Association Press.

Comments:

The anxiety about science assessment items are reverse scored. The SMQ maximum total score is 150 and the minimum is 30. Also has sub-tests: Biology Motivation Questionnaire; Physics Motivation Questionnaire; & Chemistry Motivation Questionnaire For the discipline-specific SMQ versions (like Biology Motivation Questionnaire), the words biology, chemistry, and physics are respectively substituted for the word science.

You, H. S., Kim, K., Black, K., Min, K. W. (2018). Assessing Science Motivation for College Students: Validation of the Science Motivation Questionnaire II using the Rasch-Andrich Rating Scale Model. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 14(4), 1161-1173. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/81821

Vasques, D. T., Yoshida, L., Ellinger, J., & Solomon, J. (2018, March). Validity and Reliability of the Science Motivation Questionnaire II (SMQ II) in the Context of a Japanese University. In Conference proceedings (p. 80). libreriauniversitaria. it Edizioni.

Wardhany, I. I., Subita, G. P., & Maharani, D. A. (2018). Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of the Science Motivation Questionnaire-II: Indonesian Version. Pesquisa Brasileira Em Odontopediatria E Clínica Integrada, 18(1), 1-10. doi:10.4034/pboci.2018.181.111

Salta, K., & Koulougliotis, D. (2015). Assessing motivation to learn chemistry: Adaptation and validation of Science Motivation Questionnaire II with Greek secondary school students. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 16(2), 237-250. doi:10.1039/c4rp00196f

STEM Criteria

Science

Yes

Technology

No

Engineering

No

Math

No
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Contact

Shawn M. Glynn Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology Mathematics and Science Education (Joint Appt.) University of Georgia sglynn@uga.edu