Development and Psychometric Validation of the Learner Awareness Questionnaire

The aim of this paper is to discuss the development and psychometric validation of theLearner Awareness Questionnaire (LALQ) using exploratory factor analysis and correlationstudies with the Revised Two Factor Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) and RevisedAchievement Goal Questionnaire (AGQ-R). This instrument assesses the approaches studentstake to learn and why they learn. The purpose for developing the LALQ is to provide an easyto administer student approaches to learning questionnaire that is designed specifically forMalaysian students that is comparable in terms of reliability and validity to other moreestablish instruments like to R-SPQ-2F and the AGQ-R. An initial set of 36 items of theLALQ were derived from the data collected from a phenomenological study and existingliterature on student learning. A process of testing and refinement, using 172 randomlyselected undergraduate students from various faculties of a university in Malaysia, resulted infour learner awareness scales, with 9 items for Survival, 4 items for Establishing Stability, 4items for Approval and 4 items for Loving to Learn. A fresh sample of 331 randomly selectedundergraduate students from the same university was used to test the final version of theLALQ which had acceptable Cronbach alpha values for scale reliabilities. The LALQ wasthen validated using discriminant and convergent validation with two well establishedinstruments the R-SPQ-2F and the AGQ-R. The overall results show that the LALQ is areliable and valid tool to measure student learning and is easy for students to relate to andcomplete. This instrument is also significantly correlated to the R-SPQ-2F and the AGQ-R.The LALQ is a simple self-reporting questionnaire that teachers and students can use toevaluate the learning that takes place in the classroom. It is also aimed at providing teacherwith a relevant tool to use for evaluation and research in their classroom.