Aims: Recognizing the learning motivations among medical students is one of the major factors affecting the promotion of medical education. The aim of this study was to consider the motivational factors associated with learning in medical students of basic sciences upon the Keller’s motivational model.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was done among 308 students of medical basic sciences studying at Tehran University of Medical Sciences in the second semester of 2011-2012. A researcher-made questionnaire was designed according to John Keller’s motivational model. The questionnaire had 20 questions in 4 axes of “attention”, “congruence”, “confidence” and “satisfaction”. Face validity, content validity and reliability of the questionnaire (0.83) were confirmed. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS 16 software using Student T and Chi square tests.

Results: The students’ mean score for Keller’s motivational questionnaire was at the range 20 to 77. The mean total score of female students was significantly lower than that of the male students (p=0.01). Motivational factors concerning “congruence” had more important role in promoting the female students’ motivation for learning than that of the male students (p=0.01). The students’ score for the motivational questionnaire had no relation towards their age and their passed semesters, but a significant inverse relationship towards the students’ grade point average was observed.

Conclusion: “To propose a question at the beginning of a lesson”, “using teaching aid tools”, “to talk about the future and spiritual and human aspects of medical sciences”, “clearer aims of a lesson and knowing the educational aims”, “to read favorite materials” and “being a challenging course” are of the most important motivational factors concerning learning among medical students.