Confronting challenges: motivational beliefs and learning strategies in difficult college courses

College Student Journal, June, 2008 by Douglas J. Lynch

Motivational beliefs and learning strategies have a significant effect upon student learning. This study compared motivational beliefs and learning strategies of freshman and upper class students in a normative cross section of college classes with freshman and upper class students in their self-reported most difficult course. Results from The Motivational Strategies for Learning Questionnaire show notable differences in academic class and gender. Students rated more difficult courses as less meaningful, expended less effort, with lower self-efficacy scores. All female groups reported higher test anxiety scores. Both freshman and senior females had lower critical thinking scores than comparable males. This is in sharp contrast with results that showed female scores exceeded male scores in rehearsal, elaboration, organization, and metacognitive processing. The result that seniors had lower self-efficacy and found less meaning and interest in their most difficult courses suggests that they have not internalized the professional ethic of their major. The study suggests that faculty should take deliberate steps to support sustained effort within academic majors, build a sense of professional pride that supports perseverance, and develop ways to reduce test anxiety.

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This study investigated motivational factors, learning strategies, and resource management of freshman and upper level students in their most challenging courses. The study is a direct extension of research conducted by Lynch (2006). (Lynch provides a more thorough description of the theoretical foundation than what is presented here.) This thread of research is based upon a model that suggests motivation is influenced by values, expectancy and affect (Pintrich, 1988). Intrinsic or extrinsic goal orientation and task value are associated with the value component. Expectancy components are control orientation and self-efficacy. Affect refers to test anxiety, a combination of the extent that one worries about test performance and the extent of emotional impact of tests. The learning strategies in this study refer to cognitive processes students select to master academic tasks: rehearsal, elaboration, organization, critical thinking, and self-regulation (or metacognitive processing). Finally, the study attends to resource management factors that may affect academic performance: time and study environment, expended effort, working with peers, and seeking help.

This study extends a long line of research that utilized the MSLQ or Motivational Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (Lynch, 2006; Pintrich and Garcia, 1991; and Pintrich and DeGroot, 1990; Pintrich, McKeachie, and Smith, 1989; Pintrich, 1989, 1988; McKeachie, Pintrich, Lin, and Smith, 1986). The MSLQ consists of 81 self-report statements that allow analysis as separate motivational, learning strategies and resource management subscales. Students respond to a seven-point scale with the extremes marked by "not at all true of me" or "very true of me". Whereas previous research has used the MSLQ to reference the course in which the student completes the survey, this research modified all of the survey statements to refer to their most difficult course. Examples are "In my most difficult class, I prefer course material that really challenges me so that I may learn new things." "When I become confused in my most difficult course, I go back and try to figure it out."

Participants

A review of the Lynch (2006) study provides a comparison with the current study. Although conducted on different years, all students were drawn from the same private mid-Atlantic university. Lynch (2006) analyzed freshman and upper level students' responses to the MSLQ in a random cross section of university courses in the fall of 2001. This first study will be referred to here as the normative study. The normative study consisted of 501 freshman and upper class undergraduates, with 264 freshman (Males = 127; Females = 137). The freshman were surveyed in their First Year Foundation courses that addressed a variety of academic topics and skills represented throughout the campus. This course is required for all freshman. There were 237 upper level students (Males = 109; Females = 127).

The current study surveyed students in the fall of 2005, with a comparable group of freshman and upper level students, but requested that they respond with reference to the most difficult courses. They will be referred to as the difficult course students. The difficult course group consisted of 320 students (Freshman: 111 male; 99 female; Juniors: 13 male; 31 female; Seniors: 25 male, 48 female). Too few sophomores participated for meaningful analysis. The freshman students were invited to participate in the survey from the same First Year Foundation courses as the normative group. As in the normative study, upper level students were invited from a cross section of junior and senior level courses.

Results

Overall Comparison between Difficult and Normative Groups