Introduction:

Science motivation is important for students’ scientific literacy. Yet, there is a lack of valid and reliable measurement tools for the Brazilian context. This study presents the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Science Motivation Questionnaire (SMQ-II) and motivational baseline data.

Method:

The instrument was translated into Brazilian Portuguese using cross-cultural validation procedures. For structural validity evidence, the responses of 646 secondary school students were subjected to exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, as well as measurement invariance. For reliability evidence, Cronbach’s alpha (a) and McDonald’s omega (w) were calculated. Students’ motivation was analysed using 2 (gender) x 4 (grade levels) x 3 (study modality) MANOVA.

Results:

24 items measuring intrinsic motivation, career motivation, grade motivation, and self-efficacy supported a four-factor structure with adequate reliability against the original five-factor structure (self-determination was not salient). Measurement invariance was established across the gender and study modalities, but not for grade levels. Higher-grade level Brazilian students were less motivated, and girls reported higher intrinsic and career motivation, but lower self-efficacy than boys.

Conclusion:

These findings lay the foundation for the assessment of Brazilian students’ science motivation, although they also reveal problems in the latent structure of the SMQ-II and call for the development of instruments rooted in contemporary motivational theories.

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