Improving Student Self‐Motivation in Research in Human Nutrition through Changes in the Curriculum

Research experience is an educational method critical for providing the foundation for an evidence‐based dietetics profession. Three courses offered over the final academic year were recently introduced to proved Nutiriton majors with the appreciation, skills and practise in nutrition research. This study evaluated the impact of these courses on student motivation for acquiring research skills. Of 50 students enrolled, 45 students, of which 84 % planned to become dietitians, completed a pre‐(Time 1) and post‐ (Time 2) year survey that addressed 6 areas of motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic goal orientation, task value, control of beliefs, self‐efficacy, test anxiety). Responses were placed on a seven‐point Likert scale (0 to 6) and differences determined using paired t‐tests. Most of the students (69 %) reported spending 3–5 hours/week working on these courses. Scores for extrinsic goal orientation and test anxiety decreased significantly from Time 1 to Time 2 (p< 0.05). Results suggest that after taking these courses students were less concerned about their grades and competition with other students and were more focused on the learning task after course completion. There was also a significant reduction (p< 0.05) in scores for control of beliefs, which indicates that students perceived external factors affected their outcomes in contrast to their own effort.