Academic goals orientation questionnaire for Colombian nursing students: Validity and reliability study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Educational Psychology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Academic motivation is crucial for students' learning and achievement.
• Limited research exists on academic motivation in nursing education, particularly in Latin America.
• Validated instruments for assessing academic motivation are lacking in the Latin American context.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the validity and reliability of the Academic Goals Orientation Questionnaire.
• To adapt and validate this instrument for use with Colombian nursing students.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional psychometric study was conducted in 2016.
• 323 undergraduate nursing students from the National University of Colombia participated.
• The questionnaire was administered electronically, with construct validity assessed via exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and reliability using Cronbach's alpha.

Main Results:

• Exploratory factor analysis identified four factors explaining 53.4% of the variance, aligning with the original instrument's dimensions.
• Overall reliability was adequate (Cronbach's alpha = 0.714).
• Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good model fit (SRMR=0.0471, RMSEA=0.03, CFI=0.972). Learning/task goals received the highest scores (M=4.67), while work avoidance goals received the lowest (M=2.13).

Conclusions:

• The Academic Goal Orientation Questionnaire demonstrates adequate validity and reliability for Colombian nursing students.
• The instrument is suitable for application in this population.
• Further research with larger samples and in diverse countries is recommended to expand its applicability.