Achievement Motivation and Indigenous Minorities: Can Research Be Psychometric?

Abstract

Educational research among indigenous peoples has often been flawed. Many studies on achievement motivation failed to establish that the behaviors and responses being measured were functionally, conceptually, or metrically equivalent to those from which norms for comparison were drawn and that the constructs and tools used were culturally appropriate. In this article, I report on continuing research with Australian Aboriginal and Navajo communities in which I demonstrate the relevance and applicability of psychomet ric research to indigenous communities. Using an etic-emic model for research drawn from personal investment theory, I describe the design and validation of a psychometric instrument and its useful ness for eliciting information regarding salient aspects of Aboriginal and Navajo achievement motivation in educational settings. Findings from this study are compared with commonly held views regarding indigenous motivation and achievement in schools.