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. 2025 Jul 30;18(1):334.
doi: 10.1186/s13104-025-07322-z.

Strategies to improve academic motivation in undergraduate nursing students in Iran: a qualitative content analysis

Mozhdeh Taheri Afshar  1 , Arash Ziapour  2 , Fakhreddin Chaboksavar  3 , Shakiba Lajmiri  4 , Murat Yıldırım  5   6 , Fatemeh Mohammadkhah  7
Affiliations

Strategies to improve academic motivation in undergraduate nursing students in Iran: a qualitative content analysis

Mozhdeh Taheri Afshar et al. BMC Res Notes. .

Abstract

Background: Academic motivation of nursing students is a broad and multidimensional concept that is a factor in achieving academic success, better quality of learning, creativity, academic satisfaction, reducing anxiety, continuing education and training competent nurses. The most important barrier to learning in nursing education environments is the lack of interest and motivation among students. This study aimed to explore ways to improve academic motivation in nursing students.

Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in Ramsar City in 2023. A conventional qualitative content analysis was followed to collect data using 14 in-depth individual interviews over a period of 12 months with participants selected through purposive sampling. For data analysis, Lundman and Granheim's method was adopted.

Results: Data analysis led to the extraction of 143 codes, 14 subcategories, 3 categories, and one theme. Strategies to improve academic motivation in nursing students were found to be a subjective, dynamic and multi-dimensional concept divided into two categories: "Improving educational conditions and performance" and "Improving students' welfare and recreational conditions".

Conclusion: Academic motivation is considered one of the essentials of learning and a tool to achieve educational and training goals. By using the strategies to increase academic motivation resulting from this study, an effective step can be taken in this field. Also Understanding these influential strategies can play a significant role in educational and career planning and decision-making, selecting appropriate educational and clinical measures and facilities in the university and students' future work environment, developing educational and career regulations, effective interaction with learners, ultimately increasing the effectiveness of professors' teaching and better teaching and learning activities.

Keywords: Academic motivation; Improvement; Interest; Iran; Learning; Qualitative content analysis; Student nurse.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The paper was part of a larger research project entitled “Investigating ways to improve academic motivation in nursing students: A qualitative content analysis”, reviewed and approved by the ethics committee of the Health Research School - Babol University of Medical Sciences (#IR.MUBABOL.REC.1402.007). Before the interview, the participants received an oral explanation of the purpose of the study, participant rights, freedom to participate in the study, the possibility of not answering questions to the researcher or withdrawing from the interview, and confidentiality of information in all stages of data collection and publication. They were asked to sign a written consent form. The time and place of the interview were agreed on beforehand. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

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