Confirmatory factor analysis for testing validity and reliability of traditional knowledge scale to measure university students’ attitudes

Abstract

Ilker UGULU

This study focuses on the confirmatory factor analysis for testing validity and reliability of Traditional Knowledge Attitude Scale (TKAS) to measure university students’ attitudes. The items in the TKAS were developed initially from the responses to two open-ended items by 30 university students and literature review on traditional knowledge. This initial form was pilot tested with 396 university students from various departments and then subjected to exploratory factor analysis. Later, the revised version of the scale was administered to 469 university students, and those results were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis and reliability analysis. The TKAS consisted of three subscales and 15 items with responses recorded on a four-point Likert scale, options ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient (α) of the scale was found to be .90. Study results indicate that the TKAS can serve as a valuable tool for both instructors and researchers in Turkey to assess university students’ traditional knowledge attitudes.