Construct validity of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) is widely used to assess student motivation.
• Examining the construct validity of its motivational component is crucial for accurate interpretation of results.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the construct validity of the motivational component of the MSLQ.
• To compare different factor models (six-factor, three-factor, second-order, hierarchical) using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis.

Main Methods:

• Employed exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).
• Utilized data from 327 Bachelor of Education and Graduate Diploma Education students at the University of Auckland.
• Tested original and respecified six-factor correlated models, alongside alternative second-order and hierarchical models.

Main Results:

• EFA did not support existing six-factor or three-factor structures.
• CFA indicated a good fit for a respecified model and a better fit for the original 31-item model compared to prior research.
• Alternative second-order and hierarchical models did not demonstrate superior fit.

Conclusions:

• The respecified 31-item MSLQ motivational component demonstrates acceptable construct validity.
• Potential reasons for model fit issues, including non-normality and specification errors, warrant further investigation.
• Subscale correlation patterns may vary due to underlying latent variable structures.