Malaysian University Student Learning Involvement Scale (MUSLIS): Validation of a Student Engagement Model

Fauziah Md Jaafar,Rosna Awang Hashim,Tengku Faekah Tengku Ariffin

doi:10.32890/mjli.9.2012.7634

Fauziah Md Jaafar, Rosna Awang Hashim + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.32890/mjli.9.2012.7634

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Abstract

Purpose – In western countries, a model to explain student engagement in college or university has long been established. However, there is a lack of research to develop and validate a model which may help to better understand student engagement in the local university context. There is currently no established instrument to measure student engagement specifically in the Malaysian (or Asian) university context. This study was conducted to fill the gap. A measurement model on student engagement in the Malaysian university context, based on Astin’s (1984) Student Involvement Theory, was developed and validated for use in the local context. Methodology – This study uses a survey research method to test the Malaysian University Student Learning Involvement Scale (MUSLIS), a measurement model of student engagement in the local university context. The MUSLIS is a 24-item scale designed to obtain feedback on the extent of student engagement at the tertiary level in the Malaysian context. The questionnaire was distributed to 347 final year students from Universiti Utara Malaysia. The data was analysed using the SPSS software (version 16.0) to run the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and AMOS (version 16.0) to analyse the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Findings – Holistic evaluation of the model of student engagement found that the data collected acceptably fit the model. The instrument used was also found to be reliable. Significance – This study pioneers research in the measurement of tertiary student engagement, the first of its kind, in the Malaysian context. However, a wider sample comprising data from different universities in the country should be conducted to further confirm the usability and validity of the proposed MUSLIS. The instrument can be used in studies which seek to examine the outcomes of student involvement. In practice, the measurement of student involvement provides useful information on the extent of student participation in activities on and out of campus, whether these are academic-oriented or societal activities.

Highlights

Student involvement has been found to be one of the important predictors of their academic performance and soft skill development at the tertiary level
In this study, based on the prevalent theoretical framework of student involvement and previous related literature, we have proposed a model of student involvement, derived from the feedback obtained from the validation of our locally designed instrument called the Malaysian University Student Learning Involvement Scale (MUSLIS)
The target population of this study were final year students because it was assumed that after having gone through at least six or seven semesters of university life, the students should be able to provide the information related to their involvement in university life, and rate their psychosocial development based on their university experience

Summary

Introduction

Student involvement has been found to be one of the important predictors of their academic performance and soft skill development at the tertiary level. A student who is more involved in university life would normally perform better academically and develop themselves more holistically in terms of their soft skills. Some of the instruments on student involvement used in previous studies have been tested for their reliability and validity. These instruments were mostly developed for use in the western context. In this study, based on the prevalent theoretical framework of student involvement and previous related literature, we have proposed a model of student involvement, derived from the feedback obtained from the validation of our locally designed instrument called the Malaysian University Student Learning Involvement Scale (MUSLIS). The proposed measurement model was tested to see if there was an acceptable fit with the data collected in a local university setting, at the Universiti Utara Malaysia

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