![Sample our Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing & Allied Health journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5944/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Medicine-Dentistry-Nursing-Allied-Health.jpg"})
Abstract
Background: The relationship between medical students’ well-being, motivation, and their conceptions of learning and knowledge has not been previously explored.
Aims: This study aimed to validate a research instrument intending to measure medical students’ (n = 280) (1) experiences of stress, anxiety and disinterest, (2) motivational (thinking) strategies, (3) conceptions of learning and knowledge (epistemologies), and (4) approaches to learning.
Methods: We developed an instrument, MED NORD, which is a composition of scales measuring different theoretical constructs that previously have shown good predictive value, validity and reliability. A principal component analysis with Varimax-rotation was performed in order to see how the scales related to each other.
Results: The internal consistency reliability was found to be satisfactory or good for each scale. The results showed five factors: Dysfunctional Orientation, Collaborative Knowledge Building Orientation, Cookbook Orientation, Social Orientation, and Individual Abilities Orientation. These study orientations were related to how medical students perceived their learning environment.
Conclusions: The new tool showed consistency and validity and was judged appropriate for future use in measuring medical students’ well-being and study orientations.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Kirsti Lonka
KIRSTI LONKA is a Professor of Educational Psychology and Director of the Research Centre for Educational Psychology, University of Helsinki, Finland. She was professor of medical education at the Department of LIME, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden in 2001–2005 and continues to be a Foreign Adjunct Professor in 2007–2008. She is also the J.H. Bijtel Visiting Professor, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
Parvaneh Sharafi
PARVANEH SHARAFI has a Ph.D. in psychology. Currently she works at the Department of Psychology at Stockholm University.
Klas Karlgren
KLAS KARLGREN has a Ph.D. in man-machine interaction. He works as a researcher at the Department of LIME, Karolinska Institutet, and at the Department of Computer and Systems Sciences at Stockholm University.
Italo Masiello
ITALO MASIELLO is Assistant Senior Lecturer at the Department of LIME, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden.
Juha Nieminen
JUHA NIEMINEN is an educational psychologist at the Research and Development Unit for Medical Education, University of Helsinki.
Gunnar BirgegÅrd
GUNNAR BIRGEGåRD is Professor of Haematology at the Department of Medical Sciences, and Director of the Centre for Education, Uppsala Unversity Medical School.
Anna Josephson
ANNA JOSEPHSON is Associate Professor at the Department of LIME and at the Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden