Evidences of validity of a scale for mapping professional as defining competences and performance by Brazilian tutors

Abstract

The purpose of this study was twofold: to assess evidences of construct validity of the Brazilian Scale of Tutors Competences in the field of Open and Distance Learning and to examine if variables such as professional experience, perception of the student's learning performance and prior experience influence the development of technical and attitudinal competences. Participants were 200 tutors (69 males and 131 females), residents in the Northeast of Brazil (46%), aged between 18 and 56 (M age =22, SD=8.69). The vast majority of tutors (84.5%) exercise other professional activities or beyond the academic tutoring. The scale consists of two factors: a) attitudinal competences and b) technical competences. Results from exploratory factor analysis provided evidence of construct validity. Additionally, results indicated that tutors who had previous experienced and who believed in the students' distance learning scored higher than those belonging to other groups (less experienced tutors and tutors who had no belief in students' learning distance learning). Also, results indicated that those who had former experience presented a statistically higher score towards the factor "technical competences". Overall, the study underlines the necessity of adaptation and usage of such an questionnaire of competences in other global contexts, not just the Brazilian one. The relationship between individual performance and student learning should be investigated in a cross-cultural research.