Undergraduate students’ learning strategies, motivation and academic performance

Abstract

ABSTRACT

In this study the main purpose was to estimate the internal consistency of the MSLQ (Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire) and to estimate the correlation between the academic performance, cognitive and motivational strategies. Participants were 182 undergarduates (88 % female) in a pedagogy program at the University of Barcelona. Data analysis consisted in the use of descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation and factor analysis. The results suggest that in the motivation scale (alpha = .65), intrinsic goal orientation, task value, selfefficacy and control beliefs have strong consistency. In the learning strategies section (alpha = .73) four subscales are consistent: elaboration, critical thinking, regulational, and time and study enviroment. The subscales showed no significant correlations with final grades and we believe that this lack of correlation is due to: (1) deficiences in teaching practice, (2) deficiences in evaluation performance, (3) a possible lack of cross cultural validity of the MSLQ.