Psychometric Properties of the Quality of Undergraduate Learning Experiences in Malaysian Universities

Abstract

Malaysian higher educational institutions are bracing to compete at the international level with the institutions that produce evidence of quality teaching and learning and positive students’ experiences. In this matter, students’ engagement in learning activities has been heralded as a quality indicator of the higher educational institutions’ performance as well as undergraduate students’ learning. However, there is a need to examine the level of undergraduate learning engagement based on the principles of good educational practices and a need to provide empirical evidence of the extent to which higher educational institutions in Malaysia support undergraduates’ learning and growth. For this purpose, the current study proposes a framework for quality teaching and learning in Malaysia by developing a measurement instrument to measure the quality of undergraduates’ learning experiences (QULEX) in Malaysian higher education. The current study evaluated the reliability and factor structure of the QULEX using a sample of 1,892 Malaysian undergraduate students. QULEX consists of 12 factors with 47 items to measure the quality of undergraduates’ learning experiences. The factor structure of the QULEX was examined by employing exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The findings showed that items loadings, composite reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity of the variables provide robust empirical evidence to support the implementation of QULEX in the Malaysian academic context. The findings from this study will inform policymakers and practitioners upon student feedback concerning the variables that will derive teaching and learning excellence.