Document Type : Original Article
Author
Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran
Abstract
Objective: The present study aimed to develop, validate, and assess the reliability of a Fourth-Generation University Questionnaire with an emphasis on e-learning in order to provide a valid and reliable instrument for measuring the dimensions, requirements, influencing factors, challenges, and strategies associated with the implementation of fourth-generation universities in higher education.
Methods: This applied study employed a descriptive-correlational research design. The statistical population consisted of all professors and instructors at Shahid Sattari University of Aeronautical Sciences, including faculty members and instructors affiliated with the AJA Instructor System, totaling 270 individuals. Given the limited accessibility to members of the statistical population and the practical constraints of the study, convenience sampling was employed. Ultimately, 156 accessible and willing participants took part in the study and fully completed the research questionnaire. Data obtained from the 156 completed questionnaires were used for statistical analyses. The data were analyzed using the Content Validity Ratio (CVR), Content Validity Index (CVI), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in SPSS and SmartPLS.
Findings: The results of the confirmatory factor analysis identified six factors underlying the fourth-generation university construct: components of the fourth-generation university (6 components), educational requirements (5 components), research requirements (4 components), factors influencing the establishment of the fourth-generation university (6 components), challenges faced by the university in establishing the fourth-generation university (6 components), and strategies for establishing the fourth-generation university (6 components). All factors demonstrated factor loadings above 0.50, while both Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability coefficients were above 0.70, indicating acceptable reliability for the identified factors.
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