Assessing the Psychometric Properties of Academic Engagement Questionnaire in Nursing Students

Abstract

Background: Academic Engagement is considered as one of the important factors related to the learners’ academic achievement. It is known as a significant research issue in higher education. The present study aimed to make an instrument for investigating academic engagement among nursing students of Ilam University of Medical Sciences. Methods: The present study is a methodological and cross-sectional research. To localize the academic engagement questionnaire, first, it was translated into Persian using forward-backward method. Then, its content and face validity were evaluated and approved. In order to determine the validity and reliability, the questionnaire was delivered to 120 nursing students and their comments were collected and analyzed. SPSS and AMOS software, statistical tests of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used for data analysis. Results: According to the results, the internal consistency of the questionnaire was confirmed by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α = 0.906). The EFA and CFA were used to examine the dimensionality of three domains of vigor, dedication, and absorption. Values of Goodness of Fit Index (GFI), Non-Normed Fit Index (NFI), Comparative Fit Index (CFI), and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) indices were 0.89, 0.92, 0.90 and 0.97, respectively Conclusion: The reliability and validity of the translated academic engagement questionnaire were relatively acceptable in reviewing the academic engagement of medical students, especially nursing students. Future studies should focus on more samples and examine the impact of nurses' background and educational variables on academic engagement.