Motivated strategies for learning and their association with academic performance of a diverse group of 1st-year medical students
Afr. j. health prof. educ
; 8(1): 104-107, 2016. tab
Article
in English
| AIM
| ID: biblio-1256916
Responsible library:
CG1.1
ABSTRACT
Background. Most instruments; including the well-known Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ); have been designed in western homogeneous settings. Use of the MSLQ in health professions education is limited. Objective. To assess the MSLQ and its association with the academic performance of a heterogeneous group of 1st-year medical students.Methods. Eighty-three percent of 1st-year medical students consented to participate in this quantitative study. The MSLQ consisted of a motivation strategies component with six subscales; while the learning strategies component had nine subscales. Demographic and academic achievement information of the students was also collected. Stata version 13 (StataCorp LP; USA) was used for the statistical analyses of all data.Results. Female students displayed significantly higher motivational scores. Students with prior educational experience and those who attended peer-mentoring sessions had significantly higher learning strategy scores. Significant but moderate relationships were found between academic performance and the motivation strategies subsumed within the categories 'task value' and 'self-efficacy for learning performance'. In terms of the 'learning strategy component'; 'critical thinking'; and 'time and study environment'; the composite score was significantly but poorly correlated to academic performance. Conclusion. Overall; limited correlations were found between the MSLQ scores and academic performance. Further investigation of the use of the MSLQ and its association with academic achievement is recommended; with greater focus on specific learning events than on course outcomes. This study highlights the importance of evaluating an instrument in a specific context before accepting the findings of others with regard to the use of the instrument and its correlation with academic performance
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Index:
AIM (Africa)
Main subject:
South Africa
/
Students
/
Teaching
/
Health Occupations
/
Motivation
Type of study:
Risk factors
Country/Region as subject:
Africa
Language:
English
Journal:
Afr. j. health prof. educ
Year:
2016
Type:
Article
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