Exploring the Motivational Orientations of Counseling Graduate Students in Relation to Non-Counseling Graduate Students in the U.S.

Year 2019, Volume: 3 Issue: 2, 102 - 110, 02.12.2019

Cebrail Karayigit Waganesh Zeleke Matthew Bundick

Abstract

This
quantitative study investigated different motivational orientations (e.g.
intrinsic/extrinsic and approach/avoidance) held by counseling graduate
students in relation to their level of education (e.g. master’s and doctoral),
and in relation to non-counseling graduate students. Using two well-validated
measures of motivation -The Academic Motivation Scale (AMS, Vallerand, Pelletier, Blais, Briere, Senecal,
& Vallieres,1992) and Achievement Goal Questionnaire- Revised (AGQ-
R, Elliot & Murayama, 2008), data were collected from graduate students (N= 205) enrolled in U.S. higher
education institutions. The findings revealed that counseling graduate students
more frequently experience intrinsic and performance-approach motivation, and
their motivational orientations vary based on their level of education.
Finally, the study addresses some of its limitations and recommendations for
future research based upon the results.

Keywords

Motivational orientations, Counseling students, U.S.

References

• Cardona, J. J. (2013). Determined to succeed: Motivation towards doctoral degree completion.(Unpublished doctoral dissertation). The University of Michigan, USA.
• Christensen, T. M., & Kline, W. B. (2001).Anxiety as a condition for learning in group supervision.Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 26(4), 385-396.doi: 10.1080/01933920108413786
• Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum Associates.
• Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. (2014). CACREP vital statistics 2013: Results from a national survey of accredited programs. Alexandria, VA: Author.
• Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. (2015). CACREP vital statistics 2014: Results from a national survey of accredited programs. Alexandria, VA: Author.
• Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985).Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior.Springer Science & Business Media.
• Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The" what" and" why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and theself-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227-268.
• Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2002).Handbook of self-determination research. Rochester, NY,US:UniversityofRochester Press.
• Elliot, A. J. (1999). Approach and avoidance motivation and achievement goals.Educational Pychologist, 34(3), 169-189.
• Elliot, A. J. (2006). The hierarchical model of approach-avoidance motivation.Motivation and Emotion, 30(2), 111-116.
• Elliot, A. J., & Covington, M. V. (2001). Approach and avoidance motivation.Educational Psychology Review, 13(2), 73-92.
• Elliott, A. J., & Harackiewicz, J. M. (1996).Approach and avoidance achievement goals and intrinsic motivation.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73, 171-185.
• Elliot, A. J., & Murayama, K. (2008). On the measurement of achievement goals: Critique, illustration, and application. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100(3), 613-628.
• Elliot, A. J., Murayama, K., & Pekrun, R. (2011).A 3×2 achievement goal model.Journal of Educational Psychology, 103(3), 632-648.
• Elliot, A. J., & Thrash, T. M. (2002). Approach-avoidance motivation in personality: approach and avoidance temperaments and goals. Journal of Personality and Social Pychology, 82(5), 804-818.
• Hegarty, N. Brasco, R., & Lu, F. (2012). What motivates students in graduate school anempirical study. Business Education and Accreditation, 4(2), 39-48.
• Hegarty, N. (2010). An examination of motivation levels in graduate school students. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation).St. John's University, USA.
• Hinkle, M., Iarussi, M. M., Schermer, T. W., & Yensel, J. F. (2014).Motivations to pursue the doctoral degree in counselor education and supervision.Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision, 6(1). doi:10.7729/61.1069
• Hutchinson, D. (2014). The essential counselor: Process, skills, and techniques (3rded.). Thousands Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Kottler, J. A., & Shepard, D. (2015).Introduction to Counseling: Voices from the field (8th ed.). Belmont,CA: Wadsworth.
• Nolot, S. K. (2011). Exploring the motivational orientations of graduate students in distance education programs (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/868699309
• Oxford, R. L. (Ed.). (1996). Language learning motivation: Pathways to the new century (Technical Report No. 11) (pp. 121-144). Manoa, HI: University of Hawaii.
• Protivnak, J. J., & Foss, L. L. (2009).An exploration of themes that influence the counselor education doctoral student experience.Counselor Education and Supervision, 48(4), 239-256. doi:1002/j.1556-6978.2009.tb00078.x
• Rock, M. S., & Janoff-Bulman, R. (2010). Where do we draw our lines? Politics, rigidity, and the role of self-regulation. Social Psychology and Personality Science, 1, 26-33.
• Rosas, J. S. (2015). Validation of the Achievement Goal Questionnaire–Revised in Argentinean University students (A-AGQ-R).International Journal of Psychological Research, 8(1), 10-23.
• Roskes, M., Elliot, A. J., & De Dreu, C. K. (2014). Why is avoidance motivation problematicand what can be done about it? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 23(2), 133-pro138.
• Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000a).Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being.American Psychologist, 55, 68-78.
• Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000b). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25, 54-67.
• Vallerand, R. J., Pelletier, L. G., Blais, M. R., Briere, N. M., Senecal, C., & Vallieres,E. F.(1992). The academic motivation scale: A measure of intrinsic, extrinsic, and amotivation in education. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 52(4), 1003-1017.