Abstract:

The vocational high schools in Turkey play an important role in the training of qualified human resources. However, the students who attend this school are able to show the desired success only if their academic motivation level is good. Therefore, the motivation resources of students attending vocational high schools should be acknowledged and necessary measures should be taken. The purpose of this research is to provide information about the ongoing academic motivation of students in vocational high schools in Turkey and to provide data to the teachers, administrators and curriculum specialists working in vocational high schools. "Academic Motivation Scale" adapted to Turkish by Çakır (2006) was used in the study and was applied to a total of three hundred and thirty-three students. According to the research result; While the internal and external motivations of the students attending vocational high schools do not differ according to the gender variable, it is observed that the male students get more points in the sub-scale of non-motivation. While students with good family economic status get more points in the internal and external motivation sub-scale, students with poor family economic status score more in the non-motivation sub-scale. Besides, according to the research result; it is observed that while the education level of the parents increases, the internal and external motivation levels of the students also increase and as the grade levels increase, the students in the upper classes experience more motivation.

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