The development and psychometric properties of the «Self-regulated knowledge scale - University» (SRKS-U)

Abstract

Cognitive self-regulation refers to the mental processes that students adopt with the aim of adapting and changing their processes of cognition and that can lead to positive results in terms of learning. The purpose of the present study was to develop a short scale with sound psychometric properties in order to measure self-regulated knowledge in university students. The scale was designed on the basis of the Self-Regulated Learning theoretical framework (Pintrich, 2004) as well as the results of previous studies investigating students’ cognitive self-regulation. The «Self-Regulated Knowledge Scale - University» (SRKS-U) was made up of five subscales, each one intended to measure one of the following cognitive processes: knowledge networking, knowledge extraction, knowledge practice, knowledge critique, and knowledge monitoring. The psychometric properties of the scale were tested on a sample of 2.209 Italian university students (average age = 22.6 years; SD = 6.14; 67% female) to ascertain its reliability (internal consistency) and factorial structure (using a Confirmatory Factor Analysis). A multigroup analysis was employed to verify the measurement invariance of SRKS-U across gender. The results proved the good internal consistency of the scale, confirmed its theoretical structure, and demonstrated its configural, metric and scalar invariance across gender. Given its brevity and its good psychometric properties, the SRKS-U can be usefully employed in research programs which aim to investigate self-regulated knowledge as well as in evaluation programs as a screening instrument to provide information that can be used for developing targeted interventions in order to enhance students’ self-regulation of learning.