A confirmatory factor analysis of the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale

The Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale measures readiness for self-directed learning among undergraduate healthcare students. While several exploratory factor analyses and one confirmatory factor analysis have examined the psychometric properties of the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale, questions have been raised regarding the underlying latent constructs being measured. The objective of this study was to determine the best-fitting Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale factorial structure among three models published in the literature. Data from the three-factor 40-item Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale completed by 233 undergraduate paramedic students from four Australian universities (response rate of 26%) were analyzed using maximum likelihood confirmatory factor analysis. Comparison of model fit from the 40-item version was undertaken with the previously documented four-factor 36-item and three-factor 29-item Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scales. The model fit indices of the three one-factor congeneric models with maximum likelihood analysis demonstrate that the 40-item Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale does not fit the data well. The best fitting model was the four-factor 36-item Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale followed by the three-factor 29-item models. The confirmatory factor analysis results did not support the overall construct validity of the original 40-item Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale.