Motivação para a aprendizagem: construção e validação de uma escala de avaliação

From the teachers' point of view one of the key issues concerning the teaching/learning process is the students' lack of motivation, either because of the inadequacy of the teaching methods, which do not create involving situations, or because the students simply don't want to study and consequently don't want to learn. To study motivation in learning involves a deeper understanding of a complex system of interrelated factors which operate as a whole in the students' motivation. We have based the present study on Boruchovitch and Neves (2006), Siqueira and Wechsler (2006) and Simoes and Alarcao (2011), who defend the use of a quantitative scale to measure students' motivation, with the aim of setting up and validating evaluation tools on students' learning motivation. Our practical procedure consisted on the designing of these instruments, following the theoretical models; its application to a determined number of subjects; the application of other psychological tools for the study of convergent validity and for the verification of theoretical hypothesis; a factor analysis for item construction in the factors which will determine the final instruments and, finally, the study of the time stability for the test application and re-testing after a determined time lapse. The final results allow us to verify that it is possible to measure motivation for learning. We consider it is relevant to continue this research so that we may understand the students' real motivations. This analysis will be essential for the setting up of a set of strategies to fight school failure.