Measuring Engagement to Academic Tasks: Design and Validation of the Comp-TA Questionnaire

Abstract

This study analyzes the psychometric properties of the engagement to academic tasks (Comp-TA) questionnaire. Rigorous criteria were considered in its design and validation, such as theoretical review, expert judgment, pilot test, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The instrument was administered face-to-face and in remote modality to a convenience sample of 563 high-school students from schools in Concepción, Chile. The analyses showed a latent structure with a good fit to the data, consisting of 15 items that underlie the factors of academic engagement: behavioral, cognitive, and affective. The reliability analysis yielded an internal consistency of.92 according to the ordinal alpha. Guidelines for its use to deepen the educational process of high-school students are argued.