ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Environmental factors are important for students' learning during online classes, especially during a pandemic, such as COVID-19. This study aimed to validate the environmental factors' questionnaire during online learning. METHODS: A total of 218 undergraduate medical students at the Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, participated in a cross-sectional study that involved an online survey. Environmental factor scales were assessed with the nine-item lighting, noise, and temperature (LNT) scale and the six-item technology scale. Analysis was performed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). RESULTS: The English version of the LNT scale with nine items and three factors showed a good fit to the data, with no item deleted. For LNT, the composite reliability (CR) was 0.81, 0.81, and 0.84, respectively, while the average variance extracted (AVE) was 0.61, 0.59, and 0.6, respectively. The English version of the technology scale, with six items and one factor, also showed a good fit to the data, with no item deleted. The CR was 0.84, and the AVE was 0.51. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide psychometric evidence for environmental questionnaire scales in evaluating the factors associated with online learning among Malaysian university medical students. All items were retained and confirmed to fit the sample data.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Education, Distance , Students, Medical , Humans , COVID-19/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Pandemics , Psychometrics , Reproducibility of Results , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak and the enforced quarantine, universities in Malaysia were required to switch to an online class format. The resulting changes in the environmental factors of students may have had an impact on their psychological health and academic performance. This study aimed to determine the effects of environmental factors and the psychological health of students and examine their structural relationship with academic performance. A cross-sectional design with an online self-reported questionnaire was adopted, and the study was conducted among 207 undergraduate medical students at the Health Campus of Universiti Sains Malaysia. The environmental factors were measured using the lighting-noise-temperature scale and technology scale, while psychological health was assessed using the short version of the General Health Questionnaire and academic performance was determined based on Grade Point Average. Descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling were used for analysis of the data. No significant relationship was found between environmental factors and academic performance, or between environmental factors and psychological health. Nonetheless, the hypothesized structural model provided scientific evidence of an inverse relationship between psychological health and academic performance. These findings could be helpful for academics, health policymakers, and health educators in terms of understanding and promoting psychological wellbeing among university students, as well as improving their academic performance.
Subject(s)
Academic Performance , COVID-19 , Education, Distance , Students, Medical , Humans , Students, Medical/psychology , COVID-19/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Pandemics , UniversitiesABSTRACT
Background Environmental factors are important for students learning during online classes, especially during COVID-19. This study aimed to validate the environmental factors’ questionnaire during online learning.Methods A total of 218 undergraduate medical students at the Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia participated in a cross-sectional study that involved an online survey. Environmental factors scales were assessed with the 9-items Lighting, Noise and Temperature (LNT) scale and the 6-items Technology scale. Analysis was performed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA).Results The English version of LNT with nine items and three factors showed a good fit to the data with no item deleted. For lighting, noise and temperature, the Composite Reliability (CR) was 0.81, 0.81 and 0.84, respectively while the Average Variance Extracted (AVE) was 0.61, 0.59 and 0.6, respectively. The English version of the Technology scale with six items and one factor also showed a good fit to the data with no item deleted. The CR was 0.84, and AVE was 0.51.Conclusions The results give psychometric evidence for environmental questionnaire scales in evaluatingthe factors associated with online learning among Malaysian university medical students. All items were retained and confirmed to be fit for sample data.