Translation and validation of a Vietnamese version of the modified Clinical Learning Environment Inventory (V-CLEI)

The quality of students' experiences in an education environment directly affect learning outcomes. In an applied profession such as nursing, students undertake work-integrated learning in unpredictable health settings where multiple influences interact. Understanding students' perspectives with a valid instrument is the first step in improving learning environments and maximizing learning outcomes. It is important that language and cultural nuances are accounted for when instruments are translated. This paper reports translation and psychometric properties of the Vietnamese language version (V-CLEI) of the modified English language Clinical Learning Environment Inventory (CLEI) (Newton et al., 2010). The V-CLEI was tested with a convenience sample of 209 Vietnamese nursing students to assess clinical learning experiences in hospitals in central Vietnam. The internal consistency, test-retest reliability, content validity and factor structure of the V-CLEI were examined. Results indicate that the V-CLEI is unlikely to be valid and reliable in the Vietnamese context and revision is required. This study informs research, particularly the different cultural dimensions considered when translating and adapting instruments.