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Introduction: Academic engagement refers to the predisposition that students must actively participate in university life, attending classes, turning in work on time, and following teachers' instructions. There is evidence that shows that academic engagement positively predicts student success. For this reason, its evaluation is of great relevance for university education when designing pedagogical practices that stimulate student engagement. The aim of this study was to adapt and validate the University Student Engagement Inventory (USEI) into Spanish, considering linguistic and cultural differences in three Spanish-speaking countries. Methods: 921 university students from Spain, Argentina and Uruguay participated in the study. The USEI, which consists of 15 statements grouped into three dimensions of engagement -behavioral, cognitive, emotional-was administered. Results: After three translators made the linguistic adaptation of the instrument, nine expert judges analyzed the content of the items, retaining as a result the totality of the items. Subsequently, the internal structure of the instrument was analyzed and verified -confirmatory factor analysis, cross-validation, factorial invariance, internal consistency-. Adequate evidence of concurrent external validity between USEI dimensions and learning approaches was also obtained. Conclusion: A Spanish version of the USEI was obtained with adequate psychometric properties that can be used in the field of application with the purpose of identifying students' academic engagement and proposing actions aimed at improving their learnings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The psychometric properties of the Argentinian version of the ASSIST and its factorial invariance for two administration formats (paper-pencil and online), were analyzed. Two samples were employed. In one of them, the participants (n=700) completed the ASSIST in paper and pencil format, and in the other (n=835), they responded online. The model fit for both samples was tested obtaining adequate indices. A factorial invariance analysis then compared the model for the two administration formats, verifying adequate metric invariance. Furthermore, the internal consistency of the instrument dimensions for each sample was analyzed and compared. Results showed good coefficients. Finally, the comparison of dimension scores between the samples did not produce variations. The results and their practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of approaches to learning enables the description of preferences manifested when facing a specific learning task. One of the most widespread instruments for assessing learning approaches is the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST). In its short version of 18 items, the ASSIST measures three learning approaches (Deep, Surface and Strategic). Given that the availability of this instrument would be of great value and needed to research learning approaches in college students, the objective of this research was to develop an Argentinean version. To meet this end, the inventory underwent an initial linguistic adaptation to the local forms of expression and idioms. Then, construct validity was examined (exploratory and confirmatory factorial analysis, and factorial invariance) together with analyses of concurrent validity. Reliability was examined by means of analyses of internal consistency. The resulting 14-item instrument may be used to describe approaches to learning as proposed by the theory: Deep, Superficial and Strategic. The measure obtained by exploratory and confirmatory procedures showed an adequate factorial invariance. The dimensions of the inventory had internal consistency indexes greater than .80. Finally, evidences of concurrent validity were coherent with the theory and with previous empirical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]