A Study on the Development and Effects of a Scale to Measure Learning Competence Based on the Core College Competencies: With a focus on the application effects of an extracurricular program for low performers in learning

Objectives This study aims to develop a scale to measure a set of learning competence elements based on the core college competencies by extracting them and investigating their effects by applying an extracurricular pro-gram to reinforce the competence of low performers in learning. Methods For these purposes, the investigator tested the scale for its content validity with two Delphi surveys based on previous studies, selecting 176 items after the first survey and six components and 51 preliminary items after the second one. The main study carried out a confirmatory factor analysis to test the items by the component in fitness, reliability, and validity with students who participated in the extracurricular program and tested the model for fitness based on discriminant and convergent validity with AMOS 21.0. Results Based on the results, the study developed a scale to measure learning competence with six components and 35 items. To investigate its effects, the extracurricular program to reinforce learning competence was applied to ten low performers in learning in two semesters with changes to their learning competence measurements analyzed. The analysis results show that there were significant outcomes for learning motives, self-directed, cre-ative convergence, learning strategies, and community spirit under the six components and no significant out-comes for learning affection. Conclusions Based on these findings, the study offers some objective ground data helpful for each college and university to develop a custom scale to measure learning competence based on the core competencies, measure the degree of competence cultivation based on the characteristics of learners, and assess outcomes with custom extracurricular program supports, thus holding its research implications. Furthermore, we aim to lay the founda-tion for practicing and strengthening core competency education.