The Validity and Reliability Study of a Revised Motivated Strategy for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) for Assessing Computer Software Learning Strategies

Instructional theories have shifted from viewing students as reactive learners in the mid-1980s to the current view of students as proactive learners. Emphasis is no longer placed on the teachers to adapt instruction to meet individual student’s mental ability or social-cultural background. In contrast, students are viewed as active participants in their own learning process. Based on the literature and prior research, the purpose of this study is to revise the learning strategy section of the Motivated Strategy for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) to reflect the unique learning strategies involved in learning computer skills. MSLQ is a very widely used instrument to assess students’ motivation and learning strategies. It assumed that learning strategies can be generalized across context, but context affect the learners’ choices and learning strategies available. Although the instrument is effective in assessing strategies used in processing information from texts and lectures, research findings tend to contradict general beliefs when the learning activities involved hands-on, applied learning. With 201 students who participated in the study, this research reports the initial validity and reliability of a revised version of the learning strategies in the MSLQ.