Development of a multidimensional polychronicity scale for information technology learning.

Information technology provides the potential for polychronic learning. However, research on polychronicity in the educational field is scarce. The purposes of this study were to develop a multidimensional polychronicity scale for information technology learning and explore the relationship between polychronicity in information technology‐supported learning and personality traits. This study is divided into two phases. First, a questionnaire survey was used to develop a multidimensional polychronicity scale for information technology learning, and 602 questionnaires were included in the analysis. Second, 129 participants reported their polychronicity in information technology‐supported learning and Big Five personality traits. The first phase results showed that the scale of polychronicity in IT‐supported learning (SPITSL) contained three constructs, that is, time tangibility (α =.89), scheduling preference (α =.84) and involvement with people (α =.85) and that the total variance explained was 69.43%. The confirmatory factor analysis results indicated that the preliminary model fit, overall model fit and internal model fit were acceptable. The second phase results showed that polychronicity was related to the Big Five personality traits. This study showed that the SPITSL has a multidimensional structure that is consistent with the definition of polychronicity advocated by many scholars. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Multitasking has become one of the most common behaviours in student learning.Research on polychronicity in the educational field is important but scarce. What this paper adds: The study aims to develop a polychronicity scale for digital learning.The scale of polychronicity in IT‐supported learning (SPITSL) reflected the multidimensionality of polychronicity.The polychronic students in this study prefer the scheduled learning tasks. Implications for practice and/or policy: SPITSL may help to understand the multitasking learning preference of students online.It needs more research on students' polychronicity in the IT learning environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]