INTERNAL CONSISTENCY, RESPONSIVENESS AND MINIMAL DETECTABLE CHANGE OF THE TECO IN THE BACHELOR'S DEGREE COURSE IN PEDIATRIC NURSING AT THE “SAPIENZA” UNIVERSITY OF Rome: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

The Italian Disciplinary section of Test of Competences (TECO-D) project is an important longitudinal study used to analyze learning outcomes of ungraded students and to measure quality of the educational process. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the TECO-D in students enrolled in the Bachelor's Degree in Pediatric Nursing at “Sapienza” University of Rome. The other aim was to evaluate if TECO-D is able to assess the changes in skills between students of I and III year of the university course and to calculate the minimal detectable change. The sample was composed by 35 pediatric nursing students and was recruited in October 2019. The test was administered using a digital platform with multiple choice questions (MCQs). The reliability, as internal consistency, was excellent (α= 0.938). The responsiveness evaluated by t-test for independent samples, the Standard Error of Measurement (SEM) and Minimal Detectable Change (MDC) was supported by significant differences between two cohorts of pediatric nursing students, and adequate TECO-D is a reliable instrument for assessing the skills of pediatric nursing student evaluating the achievement of university goals and improving the quality of the training provided by the university.