Development and validation of self-directed learning ability test (SDLAT) for elementary school students

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to develop and validate self-directed learning ability test (SDLAT) for elementary school students considering the theoretical consistency. A total of 507 students of 5th and 6th-grade elementary students in Seoul, Korea were participated in this research. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS WIN 23.0 and AMOS WIN 22.0 programs. The data of 200 were used for exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and 307 data were used for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The conclusions were as follows: A SDLAT for elementary school students was developed and validated in this study. The domain of self-directed learning ability was classified into three domains of cognition, affective, and behavior. The sub-factors for each domain and 42 items were developed and then verified for its validity (NFI .824, IFI .906, CFI .905, RMSEA .043). The sub-factors of the cognitive domain were identified as ‘cognitive thinking· metacognition’ and ‘problem solving’. The affective domain included ‘intrinsic motivation’, ‘future-oriented motivation’, and ‘self-efficacy’. The behavioral domain had ‘seeking help’, ‘managing physical environment’, and ‘time management’. The reliability of the total items of the test was Cronbach α .944.