Validation of a Questionnaire Assessing Students’ Self-Directed and Collaborative Learning With and Without Technology in Canadian Middle School Classrooms - Volume 45(2) - Summer/été 2019

Oct 15, 2026

The study evaluates the validity of an 18-item questionnaire measuring Canadian middle school students’ perceptions of self-directed and collaborative learning, both with and without technology. Data from 320 students across Alberta, Canada were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis, showing insufficient model fit. A jackknifing procedure systematically removed four items to produce a psychometrically sound reduced instrument. Results indicate the revised questionnaire is a useful self-report measure.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Résumé

Introduction

| Volume 45(2) | Summer/été 2019 | | --- | --- | Validation of a Questionnaire Assessing Students’ Self-Directed and Collaborative Learning With and Without Technology in Canadian Middle School Classrooms Validation d’un questionnaire évaluant l’apprentissage autonome et collaboratif des élèves, avec et sans technologie, dans les salles de classe des écoles intermédiaires canadiennes Chantal Labonté, University of Alberta Veronica R. Smith, University of Alberta Abstract In the current study, the researchers examine the validity of a questionnaire assessing students’perceptions oftheir self-directed and collaborative learning with and without technology with a group of Canadian middle school students. Lee and colleagues (2014) developed the 18-item questionnaire to assess high school students’perceptions oftheir learning. Three hundred and twenty middle school students from across Alberta, Canada completed the questionnaire. The results of a confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the questionnaire did not have sufficient model fit. The researchers used a jackknifing procedure to systematically remove four items in order to achieve a psychometrically sound questionnaire. The results suggest that the reduced questionnaire is a useful self-report instrument for assessing Canadian middle school students’perceptions oftheir learning. Résumé Dans la présente étude, les chercheurs examinent la validité d’un questionnaire évaluant les perceptions qu’ont les élèves de leur apprentissage autonome et collaboratif, avec et sans technologie, au sein d’un groupe d’élèves d’écoles intermédiaires canadiennes. Lee etses collègues (2014) ont développé un questionnaire de 18 items pour évaluer les perceptions qu’ont des élèves d’écoles secondaires quant à leur apprentissage. Trois cent vingt élèvesd’écoles intermédiaires à travers l’Alberta, au Canada, ont rempli le questionnaire. Les résultatsd’une analyse factorielle confirmatoire ont révélé que le questionnaire avait été insuffisamment ajusté au modèle. Les chercheurs se sont servis d’une procédure de jackknife afin de supprimer systématiquement quatre items afin d’obtenir un questionnaire solide sur le plan psychométrique. Les résultats suggèrent que le questionnaire raccourci est un instrument CJLT/RCAT Vol. 45(2) utile pour l’auto-évaluation des perceptions qu’ont des élèves d’écoles intermédiaires quant à leur apprentissage. Introduction Among other 21st century skills, educators have identified collaborative learning (CL) and self-directed learning (SDL) as important skills for success in our current global knowledge society (Henry, 2015; Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2011) . SDL is defined as “any increase in knowledge, skill, accomplishment, or personal development that an individual selects and brings about by his or her own efforts using any method in any circumstances at any time”(Gibbons, 2002; p. 2) . SDL is associated with numerous meaningful learning outcomes and skills, such as critical thinking and logical thinking skills (Willett, Yamashita, & Anderson, 1983), and has long been recognized as an essential component for educational growth and lifelong learning (Garrison, 1997; Gibbons, 2002) . A complementary skill set, CL occurs when two or more students work together towards a common learning goal (Dillenbourg, 1999) . As students engage in CL, they serve each other as a source of support, motivation and learning (Bolhuis, 2003; Schwartz, Tsang, & Blair, 2016) . CL provides students with the chance to analyze and exchange information, and engage in the learning material in a way not offered during individual learning, fostering students’critical thinking skills, and greater conceptual understanding of course material (Hussain, Anwar, & Majoka, 2011; Schwartz, Tsang, & Blair, 2016; Terenzini, Cabrera, Colbeck, Parente, & Bjorklund, 2001) . Information and communication technology (ICT) is used in educational settings for a variety of purposes.

FAQs

What does the questionnaire assess in this study?

It assesses Canadian middle school students’ perceptions of self-directed learning and collaborative learning, with and without technology.

How were the participants and data collected?

Three hundred and twenty middle school students across Alberta, Canada completed the questionnaire.

What method was used to improve the questionnaire after the initial analysis?

Confirmatory factor analysis showed insufficient model fit, so researchers used a jackknifing procedure to systematically remove four items.

Oct 15, 2026

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