Measuring motivational orientations toward support-seeking: The development and predictive validity of the motives for tutorial support-seeking questionnaire

SummaryThe use of tutorial support as an effective proactive intervention programme mandatory for students who do not meet the admission criteria to some US universities, shows how important the factors that motivate students to seek support willingly really are. A factor analytically derived psychometric scale for assessing nursing students’ motivational orientations toward support-seeking was developed. The Motives for Tutorial Support-Seeking Questionnaire (MTSSQ) is a composite academic risk assessment tool made up of three academically orientated subscales, namely, Expectancy, Internality and Worry. The MTSSQ derives its theoretical framework from the findings of previous work by Ofori and Charlton [Ofori, R., Charlton, J.P., 2002. A path model of factors influencing the academic performance of nursing students. Journal of Advanced Nursing 38 (5), 507–515] that suggest that the above motivational factors combine in exerting their effects upon nursing students’ support-seeking behaviours and subsequent performance. The factor structure that emerged during factor analysis confirmed the existence of the three-factor structure while the data pertaining to the internal reliability of the three subscales and the MTSSQ in general suggest sound technical attributes. The MTSSQ is found not only to predict differences in support-seeking but also age difference and performance. The 35% variance in support-seeking explained by the MTSSQ is quite respectable, although statistically this appears to be mainly attributable to internality and worry. It is concluded that the MTSSQ promises to be useful in identifying nursing students who seek tutorial support willingly from those who do not and therefore has the potential to be used as an academic risk assessment tool. The practical implications of the present findings for nurse education are discussed.