A Rasch measurement model analysis of the Revised Approaches to Studying Inventory

The Revised Approaches to Studying Inventory (Entwistle & Tait, 1994) comprises 38 self-report items designed to measure student approaches to learning in a higher education context. The items have been conceptualised and designed from five learning orientations, corresponding to five subscales of the Inventory: 'a deep approach', 'a surface approach', 'a strategic approach', 'a lack of direction' and 'academic self-confidence'.

The study aims to create an interval level scale for the Inventory and analyse its psychometric properties using a modern measurement model, the Extended Logistic Model of Rasch (Andrich, 1988a, 1988b; Rasch, 1980), and investigate the conceptual design of the Inventory.

The sample was 346 students (170 females, 176 males, 212 less than 23 years and 134 older than 23), studying in first year Faculty of Business, at a university in Perth, Western Australia.

A scale was created for the Inventory and analysed for reliability, fit to the model, meaning and validity. The Inventory was analysed separately for each of four subgroups (females, males, younger and older students) to test the invariance of the scale. The five subscales were analysed separately to test the conceptual design and meaning of the Inventory.

The Inventory has satisfactory psychometric properties, when items 20 and 33 are deleted. Easier and harder items need to be added to better target the student measures. Its conceptual design from the five learning orientations is confirmed. Only 15 items have satisfactory invariance across the four subgroups. The psychometric properties of three subscales (deep approach, surface approach and strategic approach) are only moderately satisfactory and the item separabilities of the other two (lack of direction and academic self-confidence) are unsatisfactory.

The Extended Logistic Model of Rasch was found to be useful in creating an interval level scale for the Inventory, and for analysing its psychometric properties and conceptual design. It is suggested that the Inventory can be improved conceptually by adding more items relating to attitudes, intentions and behaviour and by adding harder and easier items to target the student measures better.