Confirmatory Factor Analysis for a Service-Learning Outcomes Measurement Scale (S-LOMS)

Abstract

Service-learning was introduced into Hong Kong over a decade ago, yet there is a research gap about the self-perceived student learning outcomes, partly due to the lack of a reliable measurement instrument across disciplines and service-learning types. This study evaluated a recently created Service-Learning Outcomes Measurement Scale (S-LOMS) through confirmatory factor analysis with 629 students. S-LOMS measures self-perceived student learning outcomes with 56 items covering various learning outcome domains under four higher-order categories: knowledge application; personal and professional skills; civic orientation and engagement; and self-awareness. Alternative measurement models were compared, with the results indicating that although a model with 11 domains and without higher-order categories was preferred, there was also support for a model with 10 domains subsumed under the four higher-order categories. Multi-sample analyses indicated that both models were stable across gender.