A second-order confirmatory factor analysis of the career aspirations scale of female Thai students

Abstract

This research investigated the reliability and validity of the Career Aspiration Scale (CAS) of Gregor and O’Brien (2016) which was translated into Thai using multiple translation strategies. The questionnaire was administered to 336 female students in three universities in Thailand. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to verify a three-factor and second-order factor structures for a 24-item measure of CAS (achievement, leadership, and educational aspirations). The scale presented acceptable reliability, convergent, and discriminant validity. The results showed that the Thai version of the CAS could be used as a second-order factor structure better than a three-factor. In a second-order model, the findings of the study reflected that female Thai students prioritized “achievement aspirations” over “educational aspirations”, while “leadership aspirations” were valued the least. Moreover, the mean comparison between first-year and fourth-year students showed that fourth-year students had significantly higher scores than first-year students on all aspects of the CAS.