EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

Chapter 7, page 165

One type of self-report is called the cognitive strategy questionnaire, a questionnaire which asks
questions about students’ strategy use. One widely used questionnaire to assess cognitive strategies is the
Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ), which includes motivational items (discussed in
Chapter 7, Motivation and Core Beliefs) as well as items used to assess learning strategies. Figure 7.8
presents several MSLQ items from a version of the MSLQ reported by Pintrich and De Groot (1990). It is
in a form that you could hand out to students to answer. The first set of items is designed to assess use of
several cognitive strategies. The second set of items assesses self-regulation.

Figure 7.8: Items from the MSLQ

Rate each of these statements on a scale from 1 (not at all true of me) to 5

(very true of me).

Cognitive strategy use:

1. When I study for a test, I try to put
   together the information from class and
   from the book.


2. It is hard for me to decide what the main
   ideas are in what I read. (reversed)


3. When I study, I put important ideas into
   my own words.


4. I always try to understand what the
   teacher is saying even if it doesn’t make
   sense.


5. I use what I have learned from old
   homework assignments and the textbook to
   do new assignments.


6. When I am studying a topic, I try to make
   everything fit together.


7. I outline the chapters in my book to help
   me study.


8. When reading I try to connect the things I
   am reading about with what I already know.

Self-regulation

1. I ask myself questions to make sure I know
   the material I have been studying.


2. When work is hard I either give up or
   study only the easy parts.


3. I work on practice exercises and answer
   end of chapter questions even when I don’t
   have to.


4. Even when study materials are dull and
   uninteresting, I keep working until I
   finish.


5. Before I begin studying, I think about the
   things I will need to do in order to
   learn.


6. I often find that I have been reading for
   class but don’t know what it is all about.
   (reversed)


7. I find that when the teacher is talking I
   think of other things and don’t really
   listen to what is being said. (reversed)


8. When I’m reading, I stop once in a while
   and go over what I have read.

not at very

all true true

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

NOTE: On most items, a higher score indicates better strategy use; on “reversed” items, a lower score indicates
more sophisticated strategy use.