The adult learner self-directedness scale : validity and reliability assessment

dc.contributor.authorBotha, Jo-Anne
dc.contributor.authorMasenge, Andries
dc.date.accessioned2023-02-07T10:17:29Z
dc.date.available2023-02-07T10:17:29Z
dc.date.issued2022-11-23
dc.descriptionJ.B. was responsible for the conceptualisation, methodology, funding acquisition and writing the original draft of the article. A.M. contributed to the methodology, formal analysis and software, as well as reviewing and editing the article. Both J.B. and A.M. contributed equally to the completion of the article.en_US
dc.description.abstractORIENTATION : The absence of a scale to assess the academic self-directedness of adult learners in South African open, distance and e-learning milieus. RESEARCH PURPOSE : This article describes the further validity and reliability assessment of the Adult Learner Self-Directedness Scale (ALSDS), which assesses adult learners' academic self-directedness in an open, distance and e-learning (ODeL) university in South Africa. An initial validity and reliability study yielded a four-factor scale with 35 items loading onto it, while this study reports on a three-factor scale with 15 items loading onto it. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY : Factors such as socio-economic conditions and past education practices make South African open, distance and e-learning higher education (ODeLHE) challenging for socio-economically disadvantaged students. The growing trend of online tuition and assessment in South African universities requires research into strategies that may improve a student's success and throughput. In ODeLHE, student self-directedness may contribute to academic success, and thus a reliable scale is needed to assess it. Currently, there is no such South African scale. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD : A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was implemented, using self-report data from the students of the College of Economic and Management Sciences at a South African ODeL university. The ALSDS comprises three factors: success orientation for ODeLHE (self-efficacy beliefs), active academic behaviour (learner agency) and use of strategic resources (learning context management). MAIN FINDINGS : The findings indicate that the ALSDS appears to be a valid, internally consistent and reliable scale suitable for assessing ODeLHE adult learners' academic self-directedness. Further research is, however, required to establish metric and scalar invariance PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS : The scale may provide a reliable starting point for developing a scale for assessing ODeLHE students' existing academic self-directedness. Knowledge of existing self-directedness capacity may be useful in designing and implementing holistic learner support programmes. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD : The ALSDS may provide a reliable Afrocentric starting point for developing a measure for assessing the academic self-directedness of South African ODeLHE students.en_US
dc.description.departmentStatisticsen_US
dc.description.librarianam2023en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipThis research is based on a DCom postgraduate study conducted by the author J.-A. Botha, in 2018 at the University of South Africa that was funded through an internal bursary by University of South Africa (Unisa) for postgraduate studies by academic employees.en_US
dc.description.urihttp://www.sajip.co.zaen_US
dc.identifier.citationBotha, J.-A., & Masenge, A. (2022). The Adult Learner Self-Directedness Scale: Validity and reliability assessment. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology/SA Tydskrif vir Bedryfsielkunde, 48(0), a1926. https://DOI.org/10.4102/sajip.v48i0.1926.en_US
dc.identifier.issn0258-5200 (print)
dc.identifier.issn2071-0763 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.4102/sajip.v48i0.1926
dc.identifier.urihttps://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/89215
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherAOSIS OpenJournalsen_US
dc.rights© 2022. The Authors. Licensee: AOSIS. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.en_US
dc.subjectAdult learneren_US
dc.subjectSelf-directednessen_US
dc.subjectHigher educationen_US
dc.subjectScale validationen_US
dc.subjectAfrocentricen_US
dc.subjectAdult learner self-directedness scale (ALSDS)en_US
dc.subjectOpen, distance and e-learning (ODeL)en_US
dc.titleThe adult learner self-directedness scale : validity and reliability assessmenten_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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