Adaptation and validation of the motivated strategies for learning questionnaire-mslq-in engineering students in Colombia

Abstract

With the aim of characterizing self-regulated learning of engineering students in a Colombian university, students were asked to answer a Spanish version of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ); this questionnaire enables obtaining information on epistemic motivation and learning strategies of the students in the courses they are studying. The data found suggest the dimensional structure of the questionnaire did not meet the context of those students. It was decided to make a new translation of the MSLQ into Spanish and make linguistic and cultural adaptations in order to achieve a valid instrument; this work began with the International Test Commission (ITC) guidelines. As a result, a new questionnaire was attained, MSLQ- Colombia. The objective of this article is to present the method used to obtain the MSLQ-Colombia, and the study of the psychometric properties of the new questionnaire. The psychometric properties studied were the construct validity, content validity and reliability. These properties were determined by factor analysis, Cronbach’s Alpha and experts consultation. The participants of this research were 1218 engineering students and 12 university teachers. The results indicate the new questionnaire is valid and reliable, provide information to those who may use MSLQ-Colombia to comprehend the results of their investigations, and offer the international community new empirical evidences on MSLQ psychometric properties. It led to the conclusion that the MSLQ- Colombia has similar psychometric properties to the original MSLQ in English, and that the new questionnaire can be useful for the Spanish speaking international community. This article can be a valuable guide for those researchers, who desire making translations-adaptations of the MSLQ into languages-cultures different from English or Spanish, and also, to translate-adapt questionnaires of self-report besides the MSLQ.