Development and validation of an instrument measuring undergraduate students’ perceived holistic competencies

Abstract

There is a need to develop an instrument for undergraduate students to evaluate their holistic competencies. Such an instrument can not only be used as a tool for benchmarking but can also be used to enhance students’ awareness of their strengths and weaknesses, and to inform teaching by improving teachers’ understanding of their students. This study aims to develop and validate a questionnaire measuring undergraduate students’ perceived holistic competencies. A total of 2192 undergraduates from six out of the eight universities in Hong Kong participated in the study. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted on a random, stratified sample, followed by confirmatory factor analysis on the remaining sample. Six scales were obtained from exploratory factor analysis, namely (1) cultural sensitivity and global citizenship, (2) interpersonal and leadership competencies, (3) problem-solving and critical thinking skills, (4) self-understanding and resilience, (5) information literacy and (6) moral values. These six scales were supported by findings from confirmatory factor analysis, and Cronbach’s alpha values indicated the scales were reliable. Overall, psychometric properties of the instrument indicated that the instrument is sufficiently reliable and valid for use in educational practice and research.

Keywords:

• Holistic competencies
• questionnaire development
• self-evaluation
• assessment
• student perception

Acknowledgements

The research described in this article was funded through the General Research Fund of the Hong Kong Research Grants Council and the University Grants Committee of Hong Kong.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Cecilia K. Y. Chan

Dr. Cecilia Ka Yuk Chan is the Head of Professional Development at the Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning and an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong. Cecilia has dual discipline expertise in engineering and education as well as rich experiences in research, training and teaching. Her research areas include holistic competency development, assessment in higher education and engineering education.

Lillian Y. Y. Luk

Dr. Lillian Y. Y. Luk is a postdoctorate at the Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, the University of Hong Kong. Her research interests include student motivation, experiential learning, assessment, and the development of holistic competencies.