A study of the skill learning motivation of mechanical students in vocational high schools

This main purpose of this study was to explore the skill learning motivation contents of mechanics students in vocational high schools in Taiwan. The Skill Learning Motivation Inventory was constructed for mechanics students in vocational high schools to identify and evaluate mechanics students' skill learning motivation degree. The obtained result could be taken as a reference to improve the quality of the skill instruction of the teacher and adjust the learning attitude of students and advance the skill development achievement of the mechanics students in vocational high schools. The Skill Learning Motivation Inventory comprises seven subscales: exercise experience; learning value; purpose-driven; internal impetus; emotion-driven; external stimulation; and honour and responsibility. This study adopted a method of literature review, open-ended questionnaire survey and experts conference to form frame and items. The pre-test inventory included 42 items, although the formal version of the inventory consisted of 30 items. Tests scores of 1,828 effective inventories were collected to construct validity, reliability and norms. Therefore, the inventory identified student's skill learning motivation to offer clear learning directions in skill development.