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. 2018 Nov 22;18(1):274.
doi: 10.1186/s12909-018-1384-y.

Measuring medical students' reflection on their learning: modification and validation of the motivated strategies for learning questionnaire (MSLQ)

Diantha Soemantri  1 , Geoff Mccoll  2 , Agnes Dodds  3
Affiliations

Measuring medical students' reflection on their learning: modification and validation of the motivated strategies for learning questionnaire (MSLQ)

Diantha Soemantri et al. BMC Med Educ. .

Abstract

Background: Reflection on learning is an essential component of effective learning. Deconstructing the components of reflection on learning using a self-regulated learning (SRL) framework, allows the assessment of students' ability to reflect on their learning. The aim of this study was to validate an instrument to measure medical students' reflection on their learning.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted to identify the most suitable instrument to measure students' reflection on their learning based on the theoretical framework of SRL. The search identified the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) which contained five subscales: internal goal orientation, self-efficacy, critical thinking, metacognitive/self-regulation, help seeking and peer learning. Using the original MSLQ as the foundation, we carried out three phases of a research program to develop a useful set of items: an expert panel's review of items, a substantial pilot study, and a factor analysis of ratings of a modified set of items by preclinical and final year medical students.

Results: The factor analysis of the Modified MSLQ extracted four subscales with reasonable internal consistency: self-orientation, critical thinking, self-regulation and feedback-seeking. Each subscale correlates highly with the Modified MSLQ score, with modest inter-correlations between the subscales suggesting that they are measuring different components of the total score.

Conclusion: Medical students and their educators need to be able to monitor their learning in their complex academic and clinical environments. The Modified MSLQ provides a means of investigating and tracking individual medical students' reflections on their learning.

Keywords: Instrument; MSLQ; Medical students; Reflection on learning.

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Conflict of interest statement

Authors’ information

Diantha Soemantri, MD, MMedEd, PhD (DS) is a senior lecturer in medical education at the Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia. Her main research interest is on students learning and assessment, specifically related to feedback and reflection.

Geoff Mccoll, BMedSc, MBBS, MEd, PhD (GM) is currently the Executive Dean, Faculty of Medicine University of Queensland. Previously he was the Head of the Melbourne Medical School and Professor of Medical Education and Training at the University of Melbourne. He is currently the Chair of the Australian Medical Council’s Medical School Assessment Committee.

Agnes Dodds, BA (hons), M.A. (AD) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medical Education in the Melbourne Medical School. Her research interests are in evaluation and young adult development, particularly of high achieving students in professional courses.

Ethical approval and consent to participate

The study has been approved by the University of Melbourne Human Research Ethics Committee. All participants provided their consent to participate in this study by completing and handing in the questionnaires. Information on the voluntary nature of their participation and confidentiality of the data was provided beforehand.

Consent for publication

The consent provided by the study participants includes the permission to use the data for presentation and publication of the study.

Competing interests

The authors report no competing financial and non-financial interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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