Abstract

DEANO, Manuel et al. Psychometric properties of the Academic Perceptions Questionnaire for the assessment of first-year university students' expectations. Anal. Psicol. [online]. 2015, vol.31, n.1, pp.280-289. ISSN 1695-2294.  https://dx.doi.org/10.6018/analesps.31.1.161641.

This paper aims to test the psychometric validity and reliability of a measure of first-year university students' expectations, based on a multidimensional conception of expectations. The sample consisted of 759 first-year students, attending various academic degrees at the Universities of Vigo - Ourense and University of Minho. The value Mdn age was 19, with only 5.3% with ages above 23 years. Participants answered a set of 56 items based on seven different dimensions of expectations. Results of confirmatory factor analysis, were carried out with LISREL. Factorial validity, and factors' convergent and discnmmant validity were assured. These results, along with evidences reliability, suggest that the Academic Perceptions Questionnaire presents a final structure composed of seven expectation dimensions, including 42 items: Training for employment/career, Personal and social development, Student mobility, Political and citi%enship involvement, Social pressure, Quality of education, and Social interaction. The equivalence of measurement model in the two languages and in two groups randomly derived from the full sample was also verified. The results of this structural validity study support the assessment of the expectations of first-year students in Higher Education with the questionnaire.

Keywords : Expectations; Higher Education; first-year students; academic adjustment; structural equation modeling.

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