MOTIVATION AND LEARNING STRATEGIES OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS TOWARDS GENERAL SCIENCE: A PILOT STUDY

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the 7-point Likert-scaled instrument and Motivated Learning Strategy Questionnaires (MSLQ). This questionnaire is a pre-established instrument which was created by Pintrich and his colleagues to assess motivation orientations and the use of learning strategies. The sample of this pilot study involved 30 Form 2 students from a government secondary school which was not involved in the actual research study. It is a self-reporting tool which consists of 81 items. The motivation section consists of 31 items while the learning strategies section consists of 50 items. The motivation scales were originally divided into three broad areas: (1) value, (2) expectancy, and (3) affect. The Learning Strategies scales are all divided into three broad areas: (1) cognitive, (2) metacognitive, (3) resource management strategies. Cronbach’s α (alpha) for the three subscales of motivation range from 0.73 to 0.80. Cronbach’s α (alpha) for the three subscales of learning strategies range from 0.71 to 0.88. The reliability of MSLQ instrument is consistent with the original Pintrich’s study. In this study, the content validity of the instruments was determined by obtaining content verification from two English teachers and two Science teachers. The mean score of Test Anxiety and Critical Thinking are lower when compared to other subscales. Therefore, future researches can be carried out in these two areas in order to enhance the motivation and learning strategies of students.