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Affixed vocabulary is very important in learning Arabic vocabulary. Studies on Arabic affixed vocabulary in Malaysia show a lack of research on the weak aspects of affixed vocabulary among students at the pre-university level. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify the level of mastery of affixed vocabulary and the problematic vocabulary types for students to master. This quantitative study uses a survey method by distributing affixed vocabulary tests to collect data based on the research objectives. The sample consisted of 144 STPM students following the pre-university program at the Selangor State Islamic Religious Schools. Stratified random sampling was used for sample selection. The findings show that the mastery level of Arabic-affixed vocabulary among STPM students at Selangor State Islamic Religious Schools could be better. The final result revealed that the aspect of complex affixed vocabulary to mastery is sahih mahmuz al-ayn, mu'tal ajwaf, mu'tal naqis, mu'tal lafif mafruq dan mu'tal lafif maqrun. This result shows that the functions of the derivational system are essential skills for mastering the types of affixed words in Arabic. Hence, teachers, lecturers, and practitioners involved in Arabic language learning are suggested to use the skill to enhance students' vocabulary mastery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educator 4.0 is a new concept that describes the characteristics of future educators capable of handling and implementing various smart technologies into their teaching methods and strategies. Since the education system has rapidly changed due to the digital and smart technology transformation, educators especially in Higher Learning Institutions are required to upgrade their teaching skills and become more competent to meet the needs of the new generations of students. There is not much discussion on Educator 4.0 and how it can be measured. This is also due to the limited literature globally, thus there is a need to develop new instruments and models to measure the 4.0 Educators’ competency. The theories of Technology Literacy and DigCompEdu were adapted to develop this new instrument model. Factors and constructs such as Technologyy 4.0 literacy, Technology 4.0 resources, and student empowerment were identified and used to measure the level of 4.0 competencies among the educators. The data from the respondents in Pre-University Institutions, represented by Kolej MARA and Kolej Profesional MARA lecturers on the east coast of Malaysia, was collected using a non-probability sampling method combined with convenience sampling. A PLS-SEM approach was used to validate this new instrument model. The findings reveal that the instruments developed were valid and all constructs have a positive contribution towards Educator 4.0 competency. All constructs were good at measuring the Educator 4.0 competency. The findings of the study will provide a better understanding of educators’ 4.0 competency regarding the context of the study. Besides, this study will enrich the literature on 4.0 Educators’ competency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has caused many fallouts in human daily activities including teaching, learning and examination activities. Students of the Science and Medicine Foundation programme, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), Malaysia, were also affected by the situation where the usual face-to-face (F2F) learning sessions were turned into online sessions. This study aims to examine the impact of online learning on students' academic performance among UniSZA foundation students. It is a retrospective study that involved 251 students who completed the foundation studies between 2020 (intake year 2019/2020) and 2021 (intake year 2020/2021). The mid-semester one assessment grades of Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Information Technology courses were used as the primary comparative factor in assessing performance differences between online and F2F learning. Continuous variables were compared with the independent t-test. A p-value obtained from SPSS that was less than 0.05 (p

The COVID-19 pandemic caused severe disruption to education in the UK in 2020, with most of the school teaching moving online and national school examinations being cancelled. This was particularly disruptive for those taking end of school examinations in preparation for higher education. Biological science courses require students to absorb a lot of new vocabulary and concepts, with examinations traditionally focusing on content recall rather than reasoning. Students who had entered university in September 2019 were compared with those arriving in September 2020 with respect to their knowledge of bioscience vocabulary and understanding of key concepts. Results showed no significant difference between those who had gone through the examination process in 2019 relative to those who had not, in 2020. This suggests the cramming of information for examinations has no detectable effect on the knowledge and understanding of biology that students take with them to university. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study. Generalization of the results of creating a pre-university model (on the example of the economic lyceum of the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics) for the general case of organizing specialized schools.Materials and methods. By the method of selective observation according to the criterion of involvement in the educational process, 226 respondents were selected to conduct a standardized survey. To process the results obtained, methods of mathematical and statistical analysis were used, such as correlation, regression and factor analyzes. To analyze the subjective effectiveness of the pre-university as a form of education, a controlled experiment was conducted.Research results. The following results were obtained and summarized:The activities of the pre-university are closely related to career guidance. Students single out vocational guidance work as a key area of work of the pre-university.The satisfaction of schoolchildren as participants in the educational process depends on the competencies of teachers and satisfaction with the material and technical base of the pre-university.There are two trajectories of professional self-determination of students. The first one is through the university where the pre-university is located. The second is through the broader needs of the labor market.The opinion of teachers on the block of professional self-determination is uniform in comparison with schoolchildren. Teachers believe that most students have made a conscious choice and their choice meets the needs of the labor market.Participants in the educational process believe that the functional model of the pre-university is the most effective. Because of the experiment, results were obtained regarding the subjective effectiveness of pre-university models. The details of the experiment are described in the results of the study and allow us to draw a conclusion about the heuristics of students regarding the learning model.Conclusion. The results of the study showed that pre-university students are satisfied with the educational process, which is largely related to the competencies of teachers. Just the university, as an organization that accumulates scientists and representatives of the scientific community, can become a costly platform for organizing interaction between talented teachers and talented students.As a result of the study, differences were established between vocational guidance at the university where the pre-university is located, and general vocational guidance. Both private and general career guidance are aimed at reducing the risks for the student to not fully decide on the choice of profession when entering a university. Empirical Model of Pre-University.From an economic point of view, the pre-university accumulates the resources of the university in terms of material and technical equipment and, for example, food. This is an important factor influencing the satisfaction of students from the educational process.The empirical pre-university model, which is based on the functional interaction of pre-university students with university students (the model is shown in Figure 2), proves the importance of strategic research in the field of economics of education and educational policy. The results of the study can be used to develop pre-university schools as a form of school education in order to develop human capital at the stage of schooling and increase the subjective success and satisfaction from the educational process of students.The authors hope that this article will become a platform for studying the pre-university as a form of school education in the economic and sociological facets of analysis.

The purpose of this comprehensive review is to discuss the issues that pre-university students often face when writing essays and to propose an alternative approach to implementing the teaching of essay writing such as the use of thinking maps. The focus of this study is to look at the writing status of pre-university in Malaysia as well as the suggestions proposed by researchers through the articles highlighted. Highlights of the study found that one of the key issues that hindered pre-university students from writing essays was the failure of students to master the writing skills and the choice of teacher teaching strategies. In addition, it also indicated that both of these issues have caused students failure to perform well in essay writing. The study also suggests the use of thinking maps in the teaching and learning process of writing essays. Thinking maps are also effective in helping and enhancing students ‘achievement in essay writing. The implications of the study indicate that pre-university students are facing difficulty in producing high-quality essays and that the use of thinking maps can be used as support materials to help students write good essays.

This study describes the development, validity, and reliability processes of a scientific creativity test for pre-university students, specifically in chemistry. A Chemistry Scientific Creativity Test (CSCT) was constructed based on an analysis of the Scientific Creativity Structure Model (SCSM), Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT), and aspects of scientific creativity found in the literature. An instrument with seven items for measuring scientific creativity was developed and validated using item response data from three experts, 10 lecturers, and 60 pre-university students in Penang, Malaysia. Item analyses were performed to ensure content and face validity, followed by a reliability procedure in the measurement of stability through test–retest reliability. The Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.83 after two CSCT measures were taken over a two-month period, based on a comparison of the first- and second-time scores. This indicates an excellent relationship between the items in this test, and the items were found to be reliable and valid in assessing the scientific creativity of pre-university students. The CSCT instrument reported in this study will be utilised in the real study to test pre-university students' scientific creativity in chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic-related demands that exceed students' adaptive capabilities are collectively known as academic stress. High levels of academic stress are associated with an increased likelihood of depression, insomnia, substance addiction, self-harm, suicidal ideation, and subsequently, quitting education. Globally, academic stress is now a common phenomenon due to COVID-19-induced changes in the education system. Knowledge of the magnitude of academic stress and its factors can enable early recognition, intervention, and alleviation of the problem. The objective of this study was to assess the magnitude of perceived academic stress and identify the main stressors through a cross-sectional survey using the Manipal Inventory of Academic Stress scale. The study participants involved 2152 Grade 11 and 12 Commerce students enrolled in 34 pre-university colleges in coastal Karnataka. A stratified cluster sampling method was used in the study. Statistical methods, namely descriptive statistics, multiple linear regression analysis, two-sample independent t-test, and one-way ANOVA tests, were used in the study. The study observed that one in every four pre-university students experienced high levels of perceived academic stress. Parent expectations, academic queries from neighbours and relatives, and lack of time for revision were identified as the top three stressors. Gender, grade, and mother's education were associated with academic stress. Interventions at the individual, family, institutional, and community levels are the need of the hour to safeguard adolescents from negative experiences that might deprive them of wellness in their future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Process of acquiring information via electronic technology and media is also known as online learning or electronic learning. In general, e-learning takes place online, allowing students to access their course materials at any time and from any location they at their convenience. Nowadays, books are gradually being replaced with electronic teaching materials such as optical discs or pen drives. Rapid technological breakthroughs and improvements in learning methodologies. This shift began with the introduction of computers, and as our reliance on smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices grow which these devices are increasingly being utilized in classrooms for learning. Knowledge may also be shared over the internet, which is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from any location and at any time. This research will investigate on how the students in Foundation of Management Programme felt about e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim is to conclude the advantages and disadvantages of e-learning from students' perceptions. It can be concluded that, while a face-to-face learning is more effective than e-learning, e-learning still gets the job done. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellular Respiration is a topic in pre-university Biology subjek that requires memorization and conceptual understanding. Students find this topic difficult to master and boring because it requires a lot of memorization. Therefore, this study intended to boost students' understanding as well as enhancing active learning in the classroom. Two mnemonics were developed base on the subtopics of Glycolysis and Krebs' Cycle. A total of 80 students were involved in this study. Pre-test, post-test and quiz was used as instrument to determine the effects of MIB on students' understanding. A questionnaire were used to determine the students' perception on the effectiveness of the intervention in terms of active learning. Results show that there was a significant mean difference between the pre-test and the post-test (p<0.05), and a significant improvement in quiz results after undergoing MIB intervention. There was also a positive and significant improvement between the use of MIB and the promotion of active learning. In conclusion, this innovation helped to boost students' understanding on the topic of Cellular Respiration and the active learning session made students to bemore interested in learning this topic. This study contributes the MIB approach to be used by students as well as educators to help improve understanding in the topic of Cellular Respiration as well as other topics in Biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mathematical connections play an important role in achieving mathematical understanding. Therefore, in this article, we report research whose objective was to identify mathematical connections that pre-university students make when they solve problems that involve the derivative and the integral. In this research, we consider a mathematical connection like a true relationship between two or more concepts, definitions, theorems, or meanings amongst themselves, with other disciplines or with real life. Task-based interviews that included four application problems were used to collect data from 25 students (18 males and 7 females) and Thematic Analysis was used to analyse them. Our results indicate that mathematical connections are dependent on each other, and because of this, they form systems of mathematical connections around the reversibility connection between the derivative and the integral. We found connections of five types: different representations, procedural, features, reversibility and meaning as a mathematical connection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Academic stress is a predominant phenomenon among grade 11 and 12 students. The performance in Grade 12 is important for entry to higher education programs in India. The purpose of the study was to assess the magnitude of the perceived academic stress and identify the main stressors and the sociodemographic variables associated with the perceived academic stress among adolescents enrolled in the science stream in coastal Karnataka. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Upon Institutional Ethical Committee approval, a cross-sectional survey was carried out among pre-university students (science stream) of coastal Karnataka during February–April 2021. The study used Manipal Inventory of Academic Stress (MIAS) scale to collect data on perceived academic stress from 1859 students (response rate 68.3%). Stratified cluster sampling method was used to collect data from the study participants. IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 26.0 was used to analyze the data. Descriptive statistics, unpaired t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple linear regression analyses were used to study the association between academic stress and various demographic variables. RESULTS: The study revealed that 28% of the Grade 11 students and 26% of the Grade 12 students experienced high or extreme stress. The significant stressors were lack of time for revision, queries from neighbors or relatives, and parental expectations on academic performance. Gender, residence, and the medium of instruction until Grade 10 were associated with academic stress. CONCLUSION: Measures at the institutional and national levels are necessary to reduce the academic stress in higher secondary education. The integrated curriculum proposed in the National Educational Policy 2020 addresses a few stressors identified in this study.

This paper discusses the effectiveness of the inverted classroom implemented in a pre-university physics classroom on topics of classical mechanics. Inverted classroom moves from traditional lectures to providing students with pre-recorded lectures and other materials such as videos, online quizzes and online exercises to foster independent learning. In this study, the classroom was divided into two groups: a control group and experimental group intervened with the inverted classroom; in evaluating the efficiency of the intervention, at the end of the module, both groups were tested using tests that are similar. The findings show that there was a significant difference between control group and experimental group on their pre-test and post-test score. It implies the potential use of this approach in other basic topics of pre-university physics classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background There is a growing concern regarding elevated blood pressure in adolescence. Children and adolescents with high blood pressure are at risk for adult hypertension. Being overweight and obese are important risk factors for hypertension. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of elevated blood pressure and its association with anthropometric risk factors among students of a pre-university girls' college. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted among 337 students at a pre-university girls' college aged 15-19 years in urban Bangalore. A self-administered, semi-structured, pretested questionnaire collected the sociodemographic details, family history, and lifestyle. Height, weight, waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference were measured. Standard cut-off levels were used for body mass index (BMI), WC, waist-hip ratio (WHR), and waist-height ratio (WHtR). Resting blood pressure was determined using a digital blood pressure monitor. It was classified into normotensive, pre-hypertension (>90th to <95th percentile), and hypertension (>95th percentile). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 18 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Pre-hypertension and hypertension were considered as having elevated blood pressure. Results The prevalence of pre-hypertension and hypertension was 21.4% (n = 72, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 17.0-25.7) and 9.8% (n = 33, 95% CI = 6.6-13.0), respectively. The prevalence of overweight was 20.2% (n = 68, 95% CI = 15.9-24.5) and obesity was 12.2% (n = 41, 95% CI = 8.7-15.7). WC, WHR, and WHtR were abnormal in 34.7% (n = 117, 95% CI = 29.6-39.8), 47.5% (n = 160, 95% CI = 42.1-52.8), and 45.7% (n = 154, 95% CI = 50.4-51.0), respectively. There was a statistically significant correlation between systolic blood pressure and BMI (p < 0.001), WC (p < 0.001), and WHtR (p < 0.001), as well as diastolic blood pressure and BMI (p < 0.001), WC (p = 0.008), and WHtR (p = 0.011). Statistically significant differences in mean BMI (p = 0.004), WC (p < 0.001), WHR (p = 0.007), and WHtR (p = 0.001) between normal, pre-hypertensive, and hypertensive students were also noted. Conclusions Pre-hypertension and hypertension are fundamental problems in pre-university girl students. With a similarly increased prevalence of obesity and other anthropometric risk factors, students must be aware of hypertension and its risk factors., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Kozhisseri et al.)

To stimulate a flexible lifelong learning system students can enter university via lateral entry. Unlike traditional first-year students, lateral entrance students are not well-studied. Therefore this study focuses on comparing first-year students with a specific group of lateral entrants, namely bridging students at the Faculty of Engineering Technology, KU Leuven. Using Astin’s Input-Environment-Outcome model resulted in (1) Input variables, namely prior education and initial learning and study strategies, (2) Environmental influence, measured with a questionnaire focussing on perceived transition to university, and (3) Outcome variables, namely dropout and academic achievement. Analyses resulted in similarities for the outcome variables, but differences in terms of secondary education. Regarding the input (LASSI) and environmental questionnaires, for only two of the 13 scales a moderate effect was found (perceived preparedness and test strategies). Consequently, research findings of first-year engineering students can be compared, taking into account their specific differences, to the context of bridging students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study incorporates the design and validation of a questionnaire for the evaluation of Careers Advisory Services and the systematic processes that influence it (family, peer groups, socioeconomic status, etc.). In addition, it examines its psychometric properties within a multicultural population of students attending educational centres in the south of Spain. It seeks to create a valid instrument that is reliable as a measurement tool and useful for evaluating decision making situations relevant to the future working context. A perspective of working life is given through consideration of the degree choices made by those involved in the decision-making process. The metrics used showed high content and construct validity. Structural equation modelling (SEM) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were employed. Indicators described by Wald and Lagrange were used to examine and modify the model in order to obtain a model that best fits relevant theory and goodness of fit criteria.

Today's university students are expected to graduate from their institutions with an increased awareness of the attributes they have acquired during their degree programs. The set of accumulated knowledge, skills and dispositions have come to be known as Graduate Attributes (GAs), which this paper sets out to define and then refocus around the needs of international 'pathway' students in the pre-university sector. To capture a sense of how this worked in practice, this paper is focused on the case of the Eynesbury Institute of Business and Technology (EIBT), which serves as the setting for a study that explored the way 'values' can be added to the experience of first-year international pathway students in Australia. Emphasis was on drawing 'new' students' attention to the acquisition of 'Core Learning Values' (CLVs) and asking them to choose one of the Institute's four values--Respect, Excellence, Curiosity or Passion--to discuss via a mandatory online questionnaire. Qualitative and narrative data provided rich insight into students' preferred value and their reasoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First year undergraduate courses in higher education tend to be designed based on assumptions of students’ prior knowledge. Almost 600 undergraduates at five UK universities, studying biological sciences, were given an MCQ test in their first week at university, based on biology A-level (pre-university examination) core criteria. Results demonstrated low-level retention of basic concepts. There was variation between subject area and examination board and an inverse correlation between MCQ score and time since taking A-levels. By discovering what students remember from their pre-university learning, undergraduate courses can be designed to be more student-focused and so develop a deeper-learning teaching strategy. The results also suggest that, if A-levels are to be redesigned to enhance their impact for students entering higher education, creating programmes which encourage retention of key concepts should be a key factor to consider. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary scientific literature is one of the most important means of communication in science, written for peers in the scientific community. Primary literature provides an authentic context for showing students how scientists support their claims. Several teaching strategies have been proposed using (adapted) scientific publications, some for secondary education, but none of these strategies focused specifically on scientific argumentation. The purpose of this study is to evaluate a strategy for teaching pre-university students to read unadapted primary scientific literature, translated into students' native language, based on a new argumentation analysis framework. This framework encompasses seven types of argumentative elements: motive, objective, main conclusion, implication, support, counterargument and refutation. During the intervention, students studied two research articles. We monitored students' reading comprehension and their opinion on the articles and activities. After the intervention, we measured students' ability to identify the argumentative elements in a third unadapted and translated research article. The presented framework enabled students to analyse the article by identifying the motive, objective, main conclusion and implication and part of the supports. Students stated that they found these activities useful. Most students understood the text on paragraph level and were able to read the article with some help for its vocabulary. We suggest that primary scientific literature has the potential to show students important aspects of the scientific process and to learn scientific vocabulary in an authentic context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In interdependence with the European and world economy, Romanian economy has experienced in recent years rapid unpredictable changes, which produced a variety of social phenomena with direct effects on educational policies. Pre-university education system provides human potential both for the labour market and for the higher education system. The new approaches of the EU development policies provide that the economic crisis can be surpassed by improving the quality of education and by developing an effective management of changes in relation to the external environment changes. This analysis aims at understanding the harmonization of Romanian educational policies with the EU political agenda, it induces conclusions on two levels of topics on several aspects considered important in the evolution of the system and suggests responses in relation to the generated disruptions. The conclusions drawn and the solutions presented can represent the basis of a thorough research which can be used by any educational manager in establishing the decentralization / institutional development strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Academic stress is a predominant phenomenon among grade 11 and 12 students. The performance in Grade 12 is important for entry to higher education programs in India. The purpose of the study was to assess the magnitude of the perceived academic stress and identify the main stressors and the sociodemographic variables associated with the perceived academic stress among adolescents enrolled in the science stream in coastal Karnataka., Materials and Methods: Upon Institutional Ethical Committee approval, a cross-sectional survey was carried out among pre-university students (science stream) of coastal Karnataka during February-April 2021. The study used Manipal Inventory of Academic Stress (MIAS) scale to collect data on perceived academic stress from 1859 students (response rate 68.3%). Stratified cluster sampling method was used to collect data from the study participants. IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 26.0 was used to analyze the data. Descriptive statistics, unpaired t -test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple linear regression analyses were used to study the association between academic stress and various demographic variables., Results: The study revealed that 28% of the Grade 11 students and 26% of the Grade 12 students experienced high or extreme stress. The significant stressors were lack of time for revision, queries from neighbors or relatives, and parental expectations on academic performance. Gender, residence, and the medium of instruction until Grade 10 were associated with academic stress., Conclusion: Measures at the institutional and national levels are necessary to reduce the academic stress in higher secondary education. The integrated curriculum proposed in the National Educational Policy 2020 addresses a few stressors identified in this study., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2022 Journal of Education and Health Promotion.)

This paper discusses the various means we use in order to assist informal technical education in Romanian pre-university schools, from elementary to high school, in the frames of National and International projects of which we are a part. The activities are run by the Centre for Science Education and Training, which coordinates the 'Hands-on Science--Romania' Educational Network, at National level. Efforts are directed towards promoting different teaching methods (e.g. problem-based learning, science clubs, science fairs, debates) and tools (e.g. computer-based data acquisition, Lab VIEW programming, virtual experiments) to develop additional skills and to enhance student interest in studying technical subjects and engaging in engineering careers. Another objective is to involve as much as possible the entire community (students, parents, teachers, local authorities, organizations responsible for teacher professional development) in common activities focused on science teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expansion of higher education in the UK in the 1980s and the subsequent increase in student numbers has created greater variation in cohorts of students entering university. Entry requirements are more relaxed and students with lower pre-university (A-level) qualifications or alternative qualifications (BTEC, GNVQ) are routinely accepted onto MPharm degree programmes within the UK. Mathematics is a key component in the pharmacy degree programme and an understanding of basic mathematics is essential. This wide variation in mathematical ability coupled with increasing class sizes has led to various strategies being introduced to ensure that all students attain the required level of mathematical ability to complete the degree programme. This study investigates the use of a diagnostic test to improve both the teaching and learning experience. The paper describes an investigation into what may be learnt about students' background knowledge and skills from initial assessment and information about their prior qualifications, and how this information may be used to devise effective teaching and learning strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers views of infinity of young people prior to instruction in the methods mathematicians use in dealing with infinity. To avoid overlap with other papers in this special issue on infinity, reference to limit notions and Cantorian views of infinity are kept to the minimum. A partially historical account of studies examining young peoples' ideas of infinity is presented. Methodological problems in accessing such ideas is a sub-theme of this paper. The four main sections deal with: potential pitfalls for research in this area and the work of Piaget; issues concerning the contradictory nature of infinity and infinity as a process and as a object; infinite numbers; contexts and tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study incorporates the design and validation of a questionnaire for the evaluation of Careers Advisory Services and the systematic processes that influence it (family, peer groups, socioeconomic status, etc.). In addition, it examines its psychometric properties within a multicultural population of students attending educational centres in the south of Spain. It seeks to create a valid instrument that is reliable as a measurement tool and useful for evaluating decision making situations relevant to the future working context. A perspective of working life is given through consideration of the degree choices made by those involved in the decision-making process. The metrics used showed high content and construct validity. Structural equation modelling (SEM) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were employed. Indicators described by Wald and Lagrange were used to examine and modify the model in order to obtain a model that best fits relevant theory and goodness of fit criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]