Becoming Effective Learners Survey
Expert NotesStrengths:Useful for identifying student support and skill development needs.
Cautions:Limited evidence of psychometric validation across populations.
The Becoming Effective Learners Student Survey (BEL-S) was designed to identify and measure constructs within five categories of noncognitive factors—academic behaviors, academic perseverance, academic mindsets, learning strategies, and social skills—as well as identifying and measuring classroom…Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ)
Expert NotesStrengths:Most widely used instrument designed to capture multiple aspects of learning and motivation; includes both motivation (e.g., intrinsic goal orientation, task value) and learning strategies (e.g., effort regulation, time and study environment management) Strong predictor of academic performance (e.g., course achievement).
Cautions:Limited validation across diverse populations: Much of the research has been conducted with less diverse samples, and studies with more diverse student populations have found weaker model fit, suggesting the measure may not function the same across contexts. Self-report limitations: Students may have difficulty accurately reporting their learning strategies, especially when reflecting on complex or unconscious processes.
The MSLQ assesses learning strategies and motivation in college students. The motivation scales assess (1) value (intrinsic and extrinsic goal orientation, task value), (2) expectancy (control beliefs about learning, self-efficacy); and (3) affect (test anxiety). The learning strategies section is…New General Self-Efficacy Scale (NGSE)
Expert NotesStrengths:Strong psychometric support. Predicts motivation, performance, and persistence across domains. Improved clarity and reduced redundancy compared to earlier GSE measures.
Cautions:Some debate over distinctiveness from related constructs like confidence.
Tags: Indigenous peoples, College readiness, Efficacy, Higher education, Social and emotional learningThe New General Self-Efficacy Scale (NGSE) is a short self-report survey that measures a person’s overall belief in their ability to handle challenges and complete tasks. It focuses on general confidence rather than confidence in a specific subject or skill. The scale typically includes a small set…Adapted State Metacognitive Inventory
Expert NotesStrengths:Sensitive to short-term changes in metacognitive monitoring and control. Applicable across academic tasks and experimental learning settings.
Cautions:Susceptibility to hindsight bias. Limited evidence of consistent factor structure across contexts and populations.
The State Metacognitive Inventory consists of 20 items that measure self-regulatory processes in high school and college aged students within academic settings. Question items are scored on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The inventory is comprised…Grit Scale
Expert NotesStrengths:Useful for large-scale surveys where respondent burden is limited.
Cautions:Ongoing debate about construct validity and distinctiveness from conscientiousness. Short form reduces nuance in capturing facets of grit (consistency vs perseverance). Mixed evidence for predictive power across diverse populations and settings. May oversimplify complex motivational and contextual drivers of persistence.
The Grit Scale measures the extent to which individuals are able to maintain focus and interest, and persevere in obtaining long-term goals. It has 8-item, 10-item, and 12-item versions. Subscore(s): Goal Directed BehaviorNote: The overview provided for this instrument includes content that may…The Social Connectedness Scale-Revised
Expert NotesStrengths:Sensitive to differences in perceived social integration and isolation.
Cautions:Limited ability to capture structural or environmental influences on connection. May overlap with related constructs like loneliness and belongingness.
The Social Connectedness Scale includes 8 items and measures students' sense of connectedness, affiliation, and companionship to provide a broad picture of belongingness. The authors have an accompanying Social Assurance scale (which measures students' sense of companionship and affiliation) often…Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scales (PALS)
Expert NotesStrengths:Widely used in educational psychology research across grade levels. Enables analysis of both individual student and classroom-level influences.
Cautions:Primarily optimized for research purposes and less actionable for immediate, front-line use. Some subscales show varying reliability across populations and contexts.
PALS is used to investigate the relationship between a student's learning environment and their affect, motivation, and behavior. It consists of both a student scale and a teacher scale. The student scale investigates personal achievement goal orientations, perceptions of teacher goals, perceptions…College Readiness Scale (CRS)
Expert NotesStrengths:Useful for identifying students needing transition support interventions. Integrates multiple dimensions of preparedness beyond academic skills.
Cautions:Limited evidence of predictive validity across diverse populations. May underweight structural barriers affecting college success.
The College Readiness Scale (CRS) was designed to measure college readiness for teenagers with ADHD. It is a self-report measure focusing on behaviors related to college readiness (Maitland & Quinn, 2011). The 43-item scale has three subscales:Self-determination, including self-knowledge,…