Positive psychology is essential for learning attitudes, methods, and strategies in terms of learning motivation and learning emotion. A scientific perspective can increase the value of a learning life; it is also crucial for adaptability and flexibility because coping with learning challenges requires the knowledge and ability as well as a positive attitude. Many researchers have investigated the learning process of junior and senior high school students by using a positive learning motivation assessment, but their methodology had several limitations. For instance, many of the studies included a negative description (e.g., a heavy course load increases stress) or focused on negative mental states (e.g., learning burnout and alienated relationships). The implementation of education reform cannot alleviate the learning pressure of middle school students, and more than half of junior and senior high school students are negatively affected by “schoolwork pressure” and “exam pressure,” decreasing their mental health and learning motivation. In Taiwan, research on positive learning is lacking. Research on positive learning motivation includes learning attitudes, learning methods and strategies, learning hard work, learning emotions, responsibility, optimism, and resilience. In positive psychology research, additional investigation may provide more reasons for the cultivation of positive learning motivation. Therefore, this study developed a Positive Learning Motivation Scale (PLMS) to measure the index of learning incentive for junior and senior high school students for incorporating positive learning motivation as an indicator of the learning phenomenon. This study also analyzed the essential nature of optimism and learning resilience among students.

Learning motivation is the driving force of learning. Motivation is an essential factor in the success or failure of learning among students, indicating that motivation has a profound impact on positive learning. In the learning process, positive emotions make learners emotionally stable, active and interested in learning, able to concentrate, stimulate personal potential, become dynamic and innovative in learning, and enhance their sense of achievement in learning. Our PLMS multidimensionally assesses students’ learning motivation and learning emotion such as learning effort and strategy (e.g., understanding hard work and good learning emotions) and learning resilience (e.g., responsibility, optimism, and empathy–cooperation). We designed this assessment instrument for junior and senior high school (grade 7–12) students. The PLMS scale items were designed as theoretically constructed questions. The relevant theories and literature on positive learning in PLMS have confirmed the definition of positive learning, and then the item structure of the relevant scales was designed. For the compilation of the PLMS, scale items were generated based on schoolteachers’ suggestions; here, the themes of the PLMS were prepared and classified. The relevant theories and literature on positive learning were analyzed, and the definition of positive learning was confirmed. Then, the item structure of the relevant scales was designed to determine the junior and senior high school students in the north, middle, and second districts as the participants of the preliminary test. Next, the initial test questions were subjected to item and factor analyses. The test questions with research and identification index of > 3 and consistency score between the test** questions of > 0.3 were selected. Next, we performed exploratory factor analysis (EFA), screened the questions, determined the eligible test questions, collected samples for formal testing, and performed statistical analysis on the test results. The test–retest reliability and the criteria of the validity correlation test were established 3 weeks apart. The posttest results were subjected to multiple regression analysis, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and criterion-related validity analysis to explore the sex and age differences in each subscale.

In total, 1056 students participated in the pretest study. On the basis of the results of item analysis and EFA, “ the context item are learning hard work,” “learning emotions,” “responsibility,” “optimism,” and “empathy–cooperation ” fulfill a formal scale. The scale used here had 36 self-reported items, rated on a 4-point Likert-type scale. In total, 4,086 junior and senior high school students were used as samples.

The PLMS used for analyzing the learning motivation and learning emotions of junior and senior high school students also used a 4-point Likert-type scale. Here, the higher the score, the better the positive learning. The PLMS, including 36 questions, required 10–15 minutes to complete.

Our results indicated that the PLMS has significant criteria-related validity for items related to factors, such as positive mental health and emotional intelligence. The average score for learning emotion was the highest, indicating that when junior and senior high school students develop learning motivation, learning emotion warrants special attention. The study results also demonstrated that the students’ resilience positively affects education and that those with high resilience can respond to events and have more positive interpersonal skills. Among middle school students, we also found significant age and sex differences in positive learning. Our results suggested that positive learning should use strategies to improve students’ ability to perform various activities and aid them in self-resilience development. Positive learning is associated with resilience because it can optimistically predict learning tasks, particularly the ability to maintain mental health. Because learners with high resilience will be more concerned about self-ability, they may make more effort and demonstrate perseverance and thus have improved academic control. In this study, we aimed to understand positive learning in junior and senior high school students by developing the PLMS.

Our results may aid the design of efficient teaching activities to cultivate positive understanding. The reliability and validity of the PLMS can provide auxiliary applications in education, counseling, and life education. In terms of education, it examines the academic and life knowledge as well as the skills of middle school students, facilitating the development of their learning motivation or learning resilience and the design of an effective learning and teaching plan for them. In terms of counseling, the parents and teachers of middle school students can use the PLMS to determine the positive knowledge so that these teachers and parents can have a deeper understanding of this aspect. The PLMS results can be employed in assisted living and counseling materials to aid middle school students in exploring their strengths and thinking.

The internal consistency of the PLMS for junior and senior high school students was satisfactory. The construct validity of the PLMS, detected using CFA, indicated an acceptable model fit. The correlation results demonstrated that a high PLMS score was related to positive mental health, interpersonal relationships, and emotional intelligence. Moreover, the psychometric evaluation by using the PLMS demonstrated statistically reliable and valid results. In this research, we adopted the perspective of positive psychology; focused on learning motivation, learning emotion, and resilience; and developed a positive learning scale for junior and senior high school students. In general, the PLMS results may provide evidence supporting learning and relevant practical research interventions and reference for counseling junior and senior high school students to improve positive learning motivation.