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Assessment of School Motivation Type in High School Students3

Assessment of School Motivation Type in High School Students Test

With 39 yes/no questions, the Assessment of School Motivation Type in High School Students Test takes about 8 minutes. It explores what may drive a student’s approach to learning, including achievement, recognition, relationships, and future goals. Results offer a structured profile for personal reflection and understanding influences on school engagement.

Questions: 398 minutes

Assessment of School Motivation: test ticket with numbers

October 2, 2025October 2, 2025Material has been updatedOctober 2, 2025Material has been published

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Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

Peer InfluencePI

This scale measures how strongly classmates’ opinions and behavior influence a student’s academic motivation.

example score1/3

1/3Moderate influenceexample score

0Low influence

1 – 2Moderate influence

3High influence

A score of 1 indicates a moderate level of peer influence, meaning classmates can affect motivation in some situations but are not the primary driver.

Self-Realization MotiveSRM

Measures how strongly the student views academic activity as a space for self-realization and personal growth.

example score1/3

1/3Lowexample score

0 – 1Low

2 – 3High

A score of 1 suggests self-actualization plays a limited role in learning motivation, with study less often experienced as a key avenue for self-expression and growth.

Extracurricular School MotivationESM

Measures a student's interest and involvement in school-based extracurricular activities rather than classroom learning.

example score2/3

2/3Highexample score

0 – 1Low

2 – 3High

A score of 2 suggests a relatively strong interest in and engagement with the school’s extracurricular activities.

Social Interaction MotiveSIM

Measures how strongly a student is motivated to interact and communicate with peers in the learning context.

example score2/3

2/3Moderateexample score

0 – 1Low

2Moderate

3High

A score of 2 indicates a moderate motivation for peer communication, suggesting the student is generally interested in activities involving interaction but it is not the dominant driver.

Awareness of Social NecessityAoSN

Assesses how strongly a student recognizes the social importance of education and good academic performance for future success.

example score1/3

1/3Lowexample score

0 – 1Low

2Moderate

3High

A score of 1 indicates a low level of awareness of education’s social necessity, with future-oriented academic motives expressed inconsistently.

Fear of Negative Evaluation by FamilyFoNEbF

Measures how strongly a student’s learning is driven by fear of family reprimand or appearing unsuccessful to parents and relatives.

example score2/3

2/3Moderateexample score

0 – 1Low

2Moderate

3High

A score of 2 indicates a moderate tendency to study under the influence of concern about family disapproval and maintaining a successful image at home.

Fear of Negative Evaluation by School StaffFoNEbSS

Measures how strongly a student fears criticism or punishment from teachers and worries about looking unsuccessful in their eyes.

example score1/3

1/3Lowexample score

0 – 1Low

2 – 3High

A score of 1 suggests a low level of fear of school-side criticism, with limited concern about being judged unsuccessful by teachers.

Fear of PunishmentFoP

Measures how strongly a student’s learning motivation is influenced by fear of punishment or criticism for academic failures.

example score1/3

1/3Lowexample score

0 – 1Low

2 – 3High

A score of 1 indicates low fear-of-punishment motivation, meaning punishment or criticism is not a primary driver of this student’s studying.

Approval Motive (Parents)AM

Measures how strongly a student’s learning motivation is driven by seeking parental approval and attention for academic results.

example score2/3

2/3Highexample score

0 – 1Low

2 – 3High

A score of 2 indicates a high reliance on parental approval as a motivating factor in the student’s academic efforts.

School InfluenceSI

Measures how strongly the school environment influences the student's motivation to study.

example score2/3

2/3High influenceexample score

0 – 1Low influence

2 – 3High influence

A score of 2 indicates a high level of school influence, suggesting the student’s motivation is noticeably shaped by school-related factors such as teachers, rules, and expectations.

Family InfluenceFI

This scale measures how strongly family expectations, support, and attitudes shape the student’s motivation to study.

example score1/3

1/3Low family influenceexample score

0 – 1Low family influence

2 – 3High family influence

A score of 1 indicates that family factors play a limited role in this student’s academic motivation compared with other possible drivers.

Teacher Approval MotiveTAM

Measures how important teacher approval and attention to academic achievements are for the student’s learning motivation.

example score2/3

2/3Highexample score

0 – 1Low

2 – 3High

A score of 2 indicates a high reliance on teacher approval and recognition as a motivator for learning and academic effort.

Peer Approval MotivePAM

This scale measures how important classmates’ approval is as a driver of the student’s learning behavior.

example score2/3

2/3Highexample score

0 – 1Low

2 – 3High

A score of 2 suggests that classmates’ approval is a prominent factor influencing the student’s motivation and engagement at school.

Social Approval MotiveSAM

Measures how strongly a student’s learning is driven by the need for praise, approval, and recognition from others.

example score1/3

1/3Lowexample score

0 – 1Low

2Moderate

3High

A score of 1 indicates a low reliance on external approval, suggesting praise and recognition play a limited role in motivating this student’s learning.

Achievement MotivationAM

Measures how strongly a student is driven to achieve high results, excel, and confirm their capabilities through school performance.

example score2/3

2/3Moderateexample score

0 – 1Low

2Moderate

3High

A score of 2 indicates a moderate achievement drive, suggesting the student often aims for good results but may not consistently prioritize outperforming others or proving their potential.

Cognitive InterestCI

Measures how strongly a student is interested in gaining new knowledge and enjoying the learning process itself.

example score1/3

1/3Lowexample score

0 – 1Low

2Moderate

3High

A score of 1 suggests a low level of cognitive interest, with curiosity about new information present but not a primary driver of learning.

Prestige of Academic Achievement in the FamilyPoAAitF

This scale measures how much a teenager's family emphasizes academic achievement and the social importance of education.

example score1/3

1/3Lowexample score

0 – 1Low

2 – 3High

A score of 1 suggests that academic achievement has relatively low prestige in the family and is not strongly emphasized as a key value.

Academic Achievement Prestige in the ClassAAPitC

Assesses how prestigious academic achievement is perceived to be within the classroom group.

example score1/3

1/3Low prestigeexample score

0 – 1Low prestige

2 – 3High prestige

A score of 1 suggests that academic achievement is seen as having relatively low prestige in the class, so grades are not a strong status marker for this student.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

School psychologists and counselors

41%OF USERS

They use it to quickly identify what drives a student’s learning and plan targeted support or interventions.

Teachers and homeroom advisors

34%OF USERS

They take it to understand class and individual motivation patterns and adjust teaching, feedback, and engagement strategies.

Parents of high schoolers

25%OF USERS

They use it to better understand why their teen studies and how to encourage motivation without increasing pressure.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Shaded area — where most people score

Dot — the average

You — your score lands on each curve after the test— your score, after the test

The Influence of ClassmatesTIoC

You?

Average1.8

Typical rangeTypical1.4 – 2.3

Possible0 – 3

The motive of self-actualizationTmos

You?

Average1.7

Typical rangeTypical1.3 – 2.2

Possible0 – 3

Extracurricular School MotivationESM

You?

Average1.8

Typical rangeTypical1.2 – 2.3

Possible0 – 3

Motive for communicationMfc

You?

Average1.9

Typical rangeTypical1.3 – 2.4

Possible0 – 3

Awareness of social necessityAosn

You?

Average0.8

Typical rangeTypical0.4 – 1.2

Possible0 – 3

Fear of neglect from familyFonff

You?

Average1.7

Typical rangeTypical1.2 – 2.2

Possible0 – 3

Fear of n. from the school's sideFonftss

You?

Average2

Typical rangeTypical1.4 – 2.5

Possible0 – 3

Fear of punishmentFop

You?

Average1.6

Typical rangeTypical1.2 – 2

Possible0 – 3

Approval motivation (from parents)Amp

You?

Average1.8

Typical rangeTypical1.4 – 2.2

Possible0 – 3

Influence of schoolIos

You?

Average1.4

Typical rangeTypical0.9 – 1.9

Possible0 – 3

The Influence of FamilyTIoF

You?

Average1.3

Typical rangeTypical0.8 – 1.9

Possible0 – 3

Approval motive (by educators)Ame

You?

Average1.2

Typical rangeTypical0.7 – 1.6

Possible0 – 3

Approval motive (by classmates)Amc

You?

Average1.7

Typical rangeTypical1.2 – 2.2

Possible0 – 3

Motive of social approvalMosa

You?

Average1.5

Typical rangeTypical0.9 – 2

Possible0 – 3

Achievement MotivationAM

You?

Average0.8

Typical rangeTypical0.2 – 1.3

Possible0 – 3

Cognitive interestCi

You?

Average2.1

Typical rangeTypical1.5 – 2.6

Possible0 – 3

Prestige of education in the familyPoeitf

You?

Average1.8

Typical rangeTypical1.2 – 2.3

Possible0 – 3

Prestige of studying in the classPositc

You?

Average1.3

Typical rangeTypical0.7 – 1.8

Possible0 – 3

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

Dear high school student, This questionnaire concerns your studies at school. For each question, please answer “Yes” or “No.” Please respond as honestly as possible; your answers will help make instruction at our school more effective.

- Yes
- No
- Yes
- No
- Yes
- No

These are 3 of the 39 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

Assessment of School Motivation Type in High School Students Test - Description and methodology of the test

academic motivation

Students and adults supporting them who want to understand what gives schoolwork meaning may find the Assessment of School Motivation Type in High School Students Test useful. This school motivation assessment examines achievement, approval, peer context, family expectations, fear of criticism, future usefulness, and interest in knowledge. The result organizes reflection around influences noticeable in a learner’s approach.

What This Assessment Explores

Motivation varies; a high school motivation test shows influences.

All scales: 0-3. Bands: A=Low 0-1/High 2-3; B=Low prestige 0-1/High prestige 2-3; C=Low influence 0-0/Moderate influence 1-2/High influence 3-3; D=Low influence 0-1/High influence 2-3; E=Low family influence 0-1/High family influence 2-3; F=Low 0-1/Moderate 2-2/High 3-3.

Context shapes motivation: Prestige of Academic Achievement in the Family; Academic Achievement Prestige in the Class; School Influence; Family Influence (A/B/D/E).
Learning motives show growth: Self-Realization Motive; Extracurricular School Motivation; Awareness of Social Necessity; Cognitive Interest (A/A/F/F).
Social motives add pressure: Peer Influence; Social Interaction Motive; Fear of Negative Evaluation by Family; Fear of Negative Evaluation by School Staff; Fear of Punishment (C/F/F/A/A).
Recognition motives show approval: Approval Motive (Parents); Teacher Approval Motive; Peer Approval Motive; Social Approval Motive; Achievement Motivation (A/A/A/F/F).

Methodology and Evidence Base

Responses are binary Yes/No self-reports, while the result screen presents separate 0-3 values and the stated bands for each scale. Because no item-level allocation is specified, the number of points assigned to a Yes or No answer and any overall total should not be inferred. As a student motivation assessment, it is best read as a pattern across dimensions rather than a single rank.

The structure is conceptually consistent with School Motivation Type Diagnostic (Lepesheva, 2007), the closest subject match. Bazaleva and Shashkov’s 2019 study and Nikulina and Snezhkova’s 2019 study provide context for viewing educational motivation through social surroundings, future aims, achievement, and learning activity. They do not establish norms for this online questionnaire or prove that it is a validated version of those works.

Self-report results may shift with current school experiences, family relationships, honesty, and self-awareness. The displayed bands are descriptive categories, not clinical cutoffs or population norms, so one profile cannot explain motivation in every setting.

Author: Edward L. Deci, Richard M. Ryan

Literature:

Lepesheva, Evgenia. (2007). Methodology for Diagnosing the Type of School Motivation in High School Students. School Psychologist, No. 9 (391), pp. 20-24.
Bazaleva, Lyubov A., and Shashkov, Alexander V. (2019). Features of the Educational Motivation of Adolescents Involved in Various Youth Subcultures. World of Science. Pedagogy and Psychology, 7(6), Article 50PSMN619.
Nikulina, Irina V., and Snezhkova, Alisa E. (2019). Study of the Level of Formation of Motivation for Learning Activities of Students. Vestnik of Samara University: History, Pedagogy, Philology, 25(3), pp. 89-94. 10.18287/2542-0445-2019-25-3-89-94.

Updated: 2025-10-02