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.