Adaptation of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire for Geography Course: A Validity and Reliability Study

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63556/ankad.v10i3.436

Keywords:

Geography education, self-regulated learning strategies, motivational beliefs, scale validity

Abstract

This study aimed to adapt the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) for use in geography courses and to evaluate its validity and reliability. The sample comprised 864 high school students from three high schools in Amasya city center. Data were collected using the adapted Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire for Geography (MSLQ-Geography) and a personal information form. Construct validity was assessed through confirmatory factor analysis, while reliability was examined using item-total correlations, mean inter-item correlations, and Cronbach's alpha coefficients. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a five-factor structure (self-efficacy, intrinsic value, test anxiety, cognitive strategy use, and self-regulation) for the 40-item scale, following the removal of reverse-coded items, with acceptable model-data fit (χ2/df = 1.77, CFI = .91, TLI = .90, RMSEA = .03, SRMR = .05). Factor loadings ranged from .28 to .79. Mean inter-item correlations for the subscales ranged from .28 to .48, and item-total correlations ranged from .26 to .67. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the subscales ranged from .69 to .86. These results demonstrate that the MSLQ-Geography is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing high school students' motivational beliefs and self-regulated learning strategies in geography courses. The scale addresses a significant gap in geography education research and provides a foundation for future studies on students' learning processes in this discipline.

References

Akers, R. L. & Jennings, W. G. (2015). In Social Learning Theory. A. R. Piquero (Ed.), The Handbook of Criminological Theory (pp. 230-240). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118512449.ch12

Alım, M. (2011). Lise öğrencilerinin coğrafya dersine yönelik tutumları. Doğu Coğrafya Dergisi, 13(19), 25-32.

Antoniou, F. & Alghamdi, M. H. (2024). Confidence in mathematics is confounded by responses to reverse-coded items. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1489054. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1489054

Artino Jr, A. R. (2005). Review of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. Online Submission. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED499083.pdf

Aydın, F. ve Coşkun, M. (2011). Secondary school students' "achievement motivation" towards geography lessons. Archives of Applied Science Research, 3(2), 121-134.

Aydın, F. ve Tülümen, M. (2018). Examining the anxiety and attitudes of secondary school students towards geography lessons in terms of some variables. Review of International Geographical Education Online (RIGEO), 8(3), 473-499.

Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W H Freeman.

Bandura, A. (2006). In Guide for constructing self-efficacy scales. T. Urdan & F. Parajes (Ed.), Self-efficacy beliefs of adolescents (pp. 307-337). Greenwich, CT.

Barnette, J. J. (2000). Effects of stem and likert response option reversals on survey internal consistency: If you feel the need, there is a better alternative to using those negatively worded stems. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 60(3), 361-370. https://doi.org/10.1177/00131640021970592

Basileo, L. D., Otto, B., Lyons, M. E., Vannini, N. & Toth, M. D. (2024). The role of self-efficacy, motivation, and perceived support of students' basic psychological needs in academic achievement. Frontiers in Education, 9, 1385442. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1385442

Broks, V. M. A., Dijk, S. W., Van den Broek, W. W., Stegers-Jager, K. M. & Woltman, A. M. (2024). Self-regulated learning profiles including test anxiety linked to stress and performance: A latent profile analysis based across multiple cohorts. Medical Education, 58(5), 544-555. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.15283

Brown, T. A. (2015). Confirmatory factor analysis for applied research. Guilford Publications.

Cassady, J. C., Tan, S. H., Robiullah, A., Badzovski, I. & Janiuk, J. (2025). Methods employed in studies identifying "levels" of test anxiety in university students: A systematic review. Behavioral Sciences, 15(3), 331. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15030331

Clark, L. A. & Watson, D. (1995). Constructing validity: Basic issues in objective scale development. Psychological Assessment, 7(3). https://doi.org/10.1037/1040-3590.7.3.309

Cohen, L., Manion, L. & Morrison, K. (2018). Research methods in education. Routledge.

Credé, M. & Phillips, L. A. (2011). A meta-analytic review of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. Learning and Individual Differences, 21(4), 337-346.

Çifçi, T. (2016). Effects of infographics on students achievement and attitude towards geography lessons. Journal of Education and Learning, 5(1), 154-166.

Deniz, A. (2019). Orta öğretim öğrencilerinin coğrafya öğrenmeye yönelik motivasyon düzeylerini ölçme üzerine bir çalışma. Uluslararası Sosyal Bilimler Eğitimi Dergisi, 5(1), 35-46.

Eccles, J. S. & Wigfield, A. (2020). From expectancy-value theory to situated expectancy-value theory: A developmental, social cognitive, and sociocultural perspective on motivation. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, 101859. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101859

Erturan İlker, G., Arslan, Y. ve Demirhan, G. (2014). A validity and reliability study of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, 14(3), 829-833.

Field, A. P. (2024). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Finch, W. H., Cassady, J. C. & Helsper, C. A. (2024). Identification and validation of severity standards for the academic anxiety scale. International Journal of Testing, 24(2), 145-168. https://doi.org/10.1080/15305058.2024.2317758

Fong, C. J., Patall, E. A., Snyder, K. E., Hoff, M. A., Jones, S. J. & Zuniga-Ortega, R. E. (2023). Academic underachievement and its motivational and self-regulated learning correlates: A meta-analytic review of 80 years of research. Educational Research Review, 41, 100566. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2023.100566

Fraile-Jurado, P. & Periáñez-Cuevas, N. (2023). Enhancing motivation strategies in a mandatory university geography course. European Journal of Geography, 14(2), 64-75. https://doi.org/10.48088/ejg.p.fra.14.2.064.075

Gagnier, K. M., Holochwost, S. J. & Fisher, K. R. (2022). Spatial thinking in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics: Elementary teachers' beliefs, perceptions, and self-efficacy. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 59(1), 95-126. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21722

García, T. & Pintrich, P. R. (1995). Assessing students' motivation and learning strategies: The motivated strategies for learning questionnaire.

George, D. & Mallery, P. (2024). IBM SPSS Statistics 29 step by step: A simple guide and reference (18th ed.). Routledge.

Golledge, R. G. & Stimson, R. J. (1997). Spatial behavior: A geographic perspective. The Guilford Press.

Gökçe, N. (2009). Türkiye'de öğretmen yetiştirmede coğrafya eğitiminin sorunları ve öneriler. Kuram ve Uygulamada Eğitim Bilimleri, 9(2), 721-768.

Güneş, G., Arıkan, A. ve Çetin, T. (2020). Analysing the effect of authentic learning activities on achievement in social studies and attitudes towards Geographic Information System (GIS). Participatory Educational Research, 7(3), 247-264. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.20.45.7.3

Harrington, D. (2009). Confirmatory factor analysis. Oxford University Press.

Hu, L. & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1-55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118

Hursen, C. ve Beyoğlu, D. (2025). The impact of inquiry-based learning activities supported by Geographical Information Systems on the academic achievement, attitudes, and geography literacy of students. Transactions in GIS, 29(6), e70122. https://doi.org/10.1111/tgis.70122.

İlhan, A., Gülersoy, A. E. ve Gümüş, N. (2014). Coğrafya dersi (ortaöğretim) başarısını etkileyen faktörlerin öğrenci görüşleri çerçevesinde değerlendirilmesi. Kilis 7 Aralık Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 3(6), 61-77.

Kline, R. B. (2023). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (5th ed.). Guilford Publications.

Kolvoord, R. A. (2021). Fostering spatial thinking skills for future citizens to support sustainable development. Cultures of Science, 4(1), 17-24. https://doi.org/10.1177/20966083211024714

Kolvoord, R. A. & Peterson, E. G. (2024). Can GIS use in high school bolster college geography enrollments? The impact of the Geospatial Semester. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 48(5), 752-762. https://doi.org/10.1080/03098265.2023.2263733

Lambert, D. & Morgan, J. (2010). Teaching geography 11-18: A conceptual approach. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).

Lee, J. C., Yin, H. & Zhang, Z. (2010). Adaptation and analysis of Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire in the Chinese setting. International Journal of Testing, 10(2), 149-165. https://doi.org/10.1080/15305050903534670

Lindwall, M., Barkoukis, V., Grano, C., Lucidi, F., Raudsepp, L., Liukkonen, J. & Thøgersen-Ntoumani, C. (2012). Method effects: The problem with negatively versus positively keyed items. Journal of Personality Assessment, 94(2), 196-204. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223891.2011.645936

Maisto, S. A., Carey, K. B. & Bradizza, C. M. (1999). Social learning theory. Psychological Theories of Drinking and Alcoholism, 2(1), 106-163.

Maydeu-Olivares, A. (2017). Assessing the size of model misfit in structural equation models. Psychometrika, 82(3), 533-558. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11336-016-9552-7

Meyers, L. S., Gamst, G. C. & Guarino, A. J. (2013). Performing data analysis using IBM SPSS. John Wiley & Sons.

Morais, E., Santos, A. C. & Mouraz, A. (2025). Validation and proposal of a short version of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) for Portuguese adolescent students. Frontiers in Education, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1445548

Muthén, L. K. & Muthén, B. O. (1998). Mplus user's guide (7th ed.). Muthén & Muthén.

Nunnally, J. C. & Bernstein, I. H. (1994). Psychometric theory. McGraw-Hill.

Nursa'ban, M., Kumaıdı, K. & Mukmınan, M. (2020). Factors of critical spatial thinking for a geography metacognition assessment in Indonesian senior high schools. Review of International Geographical Education Online, 10(2), 186-204.

Öner, S. ve Aydın, F. (2014). Coğrafi bilgi sistemleri destekli eğitimin coğrafya dersindeki akademik başarı üzerindeki etkisi. Türkiye Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi, (183), 179-196. https://doi.org/10.20296/tsad.50383

Panadero, E. (2017). A review of self-regulated learning: Six models and four directions for research. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 422.

Pintrich, P. R. (1991). A manual for the use of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ).

Pintrich, P. R. (2000). Multiple goals, multiple pathways: The role of goal orientation in learning and achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92(3), 544-555.

Pintrich, P. R. & De Groot, E. V. (1990). Motivational and self-regulated learning components of classroom academic performance. Journal of educational psychology, 82(1), 33-40.

Pintrich, P. R., Smith, D. A. F., Garcia, T. & Mckeachie, W. J. (1993). Reliability and Predictive Validity of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). Educational and Psychological Measurement, 53(3), 801-813. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164493053003024

Rhemtulla, M., Brosseau-Liard, P. É. & Savalei, V. (2012). When can categorical variables be treated as continuous? A comparison of robust continuous and categorical SEM estimation methods under suboptimal conditions. Psychological Methods, 17(3), 354-373. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029315

Richardson, M., Abraham, C. & Bond, R. (2012). Psychological correlates of university students' academic performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 138(2), 353-387. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0026838

Roszkowski, M. J. & Soven, M. (2010). Shifting gears: Consequences of including two negatively worded items in the middle of a positively worded questionnaire. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 35(1), 113-130. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602930802618344

Rotter, J. B. (1982). In Social Learning Theory. N. T. Feather (Ed.), Expectations and Actions (pp. 241-260). Routledge.

Ryan, R. M. & Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1), 54-67. https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1999.1020

Schunk, D. H. & DiBenedetto, M. K. (2020). Motivation and Social Cognitive Theory. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 60, 101832. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2019.101832

Seli, H. (2019). Motivation and learning strategies for college success: A focus on self-regulated learning (6th ed). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429400711

Sonderen, E. van, Sanderman, R. & Coyne, J. C. (2013). Ineffectiveness of reverse wording of questionnaire items: Let's learn from cows in the rain. PloS one, 8(7), e68967.

Streiner, D. L., Norman, G. R. & Cairney, J. (2024). Health measurement scales: A practical guide to their development and use (5. bs). Oxford University Press.

Suárez-Álvarez, J., Pedrosa, I., Lozano Fernández, L. M., García-Cueto, E., Cuesta, M. & Muñiz, J. (2018). Using reversed items in Likert scales: A questionable practice. Psicothema, 30(2), 149-158. https://doi.org/10.7334/psicothema2018.33

Sweller, J., Ayres, P. & Kalyuga, S. (2011). Altering element interactivity and intrinsic cognitive load. Springer New York.

Şanlı, C. (2021). The relation between task value, test anxiety and academic self-efficacy: A moderation analysis in high school geography course. Participatory Educational Research, 8(1), 265-278. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.21.15.8.1

Tabachnick, B. G. & Fidell, L. S. (2019). Using multivariate statistics (6th ed.). Pearson Education.

Tomčíková, I. (2020). Implementation of inquiry-based education in geography teaching – findings about teachers' attitudes. Review of International Geographical Education Online, 10(4), 533-548. https://doi.org/10.33403/rigeo.791713

Tuncer, T. ve Pınar, A. (2023). Artırılmış gerçeklik uygulamaları ile içeriği zenginleştirilmiş coğrafya derslerinin öğrencilerin coğrafya dersine yönelik tutumlarına etkisi. Gelecek Vizyonlar Dergisi, 7(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.29329/fvj.2023.539.1

Tüzün, H., Yılmaz-Soylu, M., Karakuş, T., Inal, Y. ve Kızılkaya, G. (2009). The effects of computer games on primary school students' achievement and motivation in geography learning. Computers & Education, 52(1), 68-77.

Üredi, I. (2005). Algılanan anne baba tutumlarının ilköğretim 8. sınıf öğrencilerinin öz düzenleyici öğrenme stratejileri ve motivasyonel inançları üzerindeki etkisi [Doktora tezi]. Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi.

Venta, A., Bailey, C. A., Walker, J., Mercado, A., Colunga-Rodriguez, C., Ángel-González, M. & Dávalos-Picazo, G. (2022). Reverse-coded items do not work in Spanish: Data from four samples using established measures. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 828037. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.828037

Wang, F., Jiang, C., King, R. B. & Leung, S. O. (2023). Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ): Adaptation, validation, and development of a short form in the Chinese context for mathematics. Psychology in the Schools, 60(6), 2018-2040. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22845

Wang, J. & Wang, X. (2020). Structural equation modeling: Applications using mplus. John Wiley & Sons.

Watkins, M. W. (2021). A step-by-step guide to exploratory factor analysis with SPSS. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003149347

Weems, G. H. & Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (2001). The impact of midpoint responses and reverse coding on survey data. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 34(3), 166-176. https://doi.org/10.1080/07481756.2002.12069033

Woods, C. M. (2006). Careless responding to reverse-worded items: Implications for confirmatory factor analysis. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 28(3), 186-191. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-005-9004-7

Xiang, X. & Xi, D. (2025). Examining cognitive processes of spatial thinking in university students: Insights from a web‐based geographic information systems study. British Journal of Educational Technology, 56(1), 296-317. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13502

Yockey, R. D. (2023). SPSS demystified: A simple guide and reference (4th ed.). Routledge.

Zaman, S. ve Coşkun, Ö. (2011). Orta öğretim öğrencilerinin coğrafya derslerine karşı tutumları üzerine bir araştırma: Erzurum örneği. Doğu Coğrafya Dergisi, 12(17), 17-31.

Zeidner, M. (2007). In test anxiety in educational contexts: Concepts, findings, and future directions. Emotion in Education (pp. 165-184). Elsevier.

Wang, L., Liu, L., Meng, X., Gao, Q. & Fan, M. (2024). The relationship between geographical self-efficacy and academic achievements in geography: A moderated mediating model. Sustainability, 16(7), 2682. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16072682

Zimmerman, B. J. & Schunk, D. H. (2008). In Motivation: An essential dimension of self-regulated learning. Motivation and Self-Regulated Learning. Routledge.

Downloads

Published

2026-09-23

How to Cite

KASAP, N., & ESER ÜNALDI, Ü. (2026). Adaptation of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire for Geography Course: A Validity and Reliability Study. Journal of Anatolian Cultural Research, 10(3), 1655-1675. https://doi.org/10.63556/ankad.v10i3.436

Most read articles by the same author(s)