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Psychometric examination of the short version of the learning climate questionnaire using item response theory

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Abstract

Self-determination theory proposes that autonomy support in the classroom is critical for students’ optimal motivation and performance. However, the literature has not adequately demonstrated the psychometric qualities of the most popular measurement for autonomy-supportive classrooms, the Learning Climate Questionnaire (LCQ) and its short version. Using the graded response model in item response theory (IRT), the current study evaluates the short version of the LCQ with a large sample (N = 13570). IRT and classic psychometric analyses show that the scale is generally satisfactory in measuring latent learning climate, with the exceptions that Item 4 appears to be inadequate and that the scale is relatively weak in distinguishing highly autonomy-supportive classrooms. We provide suggestions for future studies, such as dropping Item 4 and including more items that tap into instructional practices located on the higher end of the latent autonomy support spectrum. Implications of the current findings for the conceptualization of autonomy support are also discussed.

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Notes

  1. Over-aged students constitute only a small proportion of this sample and did not have any substantial impact on the results. We reran the analysis with only those aged between 18 and 22, and the results were essentially the same. The RMSEA was the same, the difference in parameter estimates (αs & δs) were within 0.06, and the category response curves and information curves had the same shapes.

  2. We also performed an exploratory factor analysis on the main dataset, which yielded very similar results to those of the smaller extra dataset that supported the uni-dimensionality.

  3. According to Baker (2001), values for the discrimination parameter α from 0.01 to 0.24 are very low, 0.25 to 0.64 are low, 0.65 to 1.34 are moderate, 1.35 to 1.69 are high, and more than 1.7 are very high.

  4. It should be noted that the examination of separation is relatively subjective. No quantitative indicator is available for this purpose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    Shi Yu, Anne Traynor & Chantal Levesque-Bristol

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  1. Shi Yu
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  2. Anne Traynor
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  3. Chantal Levesque-Bristol
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Correspondence to Shi Yu.

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Yu, S., Traynor, A. & Levesque-Bristol, C. Psychometric examination of the short version of the learning climate questionnaire using item response theory. Motiv Emot 42, 795–803 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-018-9704-4

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