Student motivation in undergraduate ophthalmology education: self-determination theory of motivation

This thesis explored student motivation in ophthalmology education in undergraduate medical schools from the student and educator perspective, through the lens of Self-Determination Theory. The key findings of this thesis include that medical school academic leads did not explicitly consider student motivation in ophthalmology education. Additionally, factors affecting medical student motivation while studying ophthalmology were identified, the five most impactful being guidance, growth mindset, assessment characteristics, curricular pressure and extracurricular pressure. Intrinsic motivation of medical students studying ophthalmology was also found to significantly predict their future perceived competence as JMOs when managing ophthalmic disease.