Critical Synthesis Package: Study Interest Questionnaire (SIQ)

Abstract This Critical Synthesis Package contains: (1) a Critical Analysis of the psychometric properties and the application to health science education of the Study Interest Questionnaire (SIQ), and (2) a copy of the SIQ instrument and the scoring instructions developed by Ulrich Schiefele, PhD. The SIQ is an 18-item survey tool intended to assess cognitive, emotional, and value-related aspects of a learner's interest in learning about a specific topic or taking a specific course. The items in the SIQ are scored with a 4-point Likert-type scale and the total SIQ score indicates the degree of interest an individual has in a specific educational topic. There is a 9-item short form of the SIQ used in some studies. The SIQ demonstrated very good internal consistency and reliability over several studies. Construct, convergent, discriminant, and concurrent validity have been demonstrated in different populations of learners, from college students to German medical students. Some studies in college students have shown correlation between high SIQ score and both deep learning strategies and improved exam performance when compared to students with low SIQ scores. Subsequent studies in medical students, however, have not demonstrated a correlation between SIQ scores and performance on written exams or in completing technical tasks. Overall, despite the promising preliminary psychometric properties of the SIQ in undergraduate college students, further studies on the psychometric performance of the SIQ in medical learners are needed.