Adaptation and validation of the academic motivation scale for higher education across four Eastern European countries

The article focuses on adaptation and validation of the Academic Motivation Scale questionnaire (AMS-28) in higher education in four Eastern European countries: Czechia, Slovakia, Serbia, and Poland. The research was conducted with a total of 1711 respondents. We examined the construct validity of AMS-28 including measurement invariance and reliability according to national, gender and age groups. Our analysis confirmed its original seven-factor structure as well as its reliability. The tool is measurement invariant across all compared groups (gender, age, countries) except Poland, whose results are specific. The results identify new places on the world map where AMS-28 is functional. The tool appears functional in time, space and various language mutations. Despite satisfactory results, there is still room for future examination of the AMS-28 among different countries. In practice, the tool has a wide range of application possibilities.European Commissio

Barriers to the participation of low-educated workers in non-formal education

Despite the increasing pace of technological change and digitalisation of workplaces, low-educated workers continue to participate in non-formal adult education (NFE) to a significantly lesser degree than do other workers. At the same time, low-educated workers also face many other barriers to participation. One key question related to their non-participation is what role the different types of perceived barriers play. Based on an earlier investigation, we have identified dispositional, situational, and institutional barriers to non-participation in NFE. The aim of the present two-step empirical research is to determine the structure (first step) and occurrence (second step) of these barriers in low-educated workers. For this purpose, we have used the specially developed research tool Non-Participation in Non-formal Education Questionnaire (NP-NFE-Q). Based on this validated tool, we have done a two-step empirical investigation on representative sample of low-educated workers from the Czech Republic that shows the strength of situational barriers related to the workplace, and distinguishes individual groups of non-participants through a cluster analysis. The results expand knowledge in the field of adult education and offer practical implications towards the higher participation of low-educated workers in NFE.Czech Science Foundation [GA_19-00987S

Cross-national validation of the non-participation in non-formal education questionnaire: Findings from adults from Sweden, Germany, United Kingdom, and the Czech republic

AbstractNon-formal adult education (NFE) provides adults of all ages with the opportunity to acquire skills, knowledge, and expertise. However, there is currently a lack of validated instruments that measure the factors of NFE non-participation in European countries, particularly their barriers. One exception is the Non-participation in Non-formal Education Questionnaire (NP-NFE-Q). This study evaluates and compares the psychometric properties of this instrument among adults across four purposefully selected European countries: Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Czech Republic. The results indicate a good model fit for a three-factor model across randomly split pooled samples and for all countries (min. CFI, TLI, and GFI =.932, .908, and .941, max. RMSEA =.079). The findings reveal that adults currently face barriers in three key forms: (1) worries and (2) needs regarding NFE at the micro level and (3) the need for more suitable provision at the macro level

Development and initial validation of the nonparticipation in nonformal education questionnaire

Nonformal adult education (NFE) provides adults with the opportunity to obtain competences needed to adapt to today’s changing job market. Despite the well-documented positive effects of NFE, there remains a lack of valid research instruments to assess factors of nonparticipation. Specifically, defining the perspectives of social groups with the highest incidence of barriers and the lowest level of participation in NFE has not been a primary research goal. This study describes the development and initial validation of a novel research tool entitled the Nonparticipation in Nonformal Education Questionnaire (NP-NFE-Q). The analysis covers the use of the NP-NFE-Q on a representative sample of the adult population (n = 878) as well as three additional cohorts: low-educated workers (n = 227), persons caring for children under the age of three (n = 227), and retired persons (n = 232). The results consistently support the validation of a correlated five-factor model, which includes two situational, one institutional and two dispositional factors. © The Author(s) 2021.Grantová Agentura České Republiky, GA ČRCzech Science Foundation (GACR)Grant Agency of the Czech Republic [GA_19-00987S

Determinants of participation in nonformal education in the Czech Republic

This study deals with key determinants of participation in the nonformal education (NFE) of adults in the Czech Republic (CZE). Our results are based on a secondary analysis of two Adult Education Surveys carried out in the CZE in 2011 (n = 10,190) and 2016 (n = 12,272). Determinants of participation are modelled through logistic regression and decision tree algorithm. The results show that the recent trend of participation in NFE has significantly increased to nearly 40% of adults. In this regard, we argue that this increase is an outcome of the higher investments of employers into NFE in the past 5 years, which has led to a higher proportion of low-skilled workers included in job-related training. Nevertheless, this does not mean that inequality in Czech NFE is decreasing, as the main predictors of participation in NFE remain the same: (a) current employment status, (b) active attitude to learning opportunities, and (c) educational attainment. © The Author(s) 2019.Czech Science Foundation through the project Blind Spots of Nonformal Education in the Czech Republic: Nonparticipants and their Social Worlds [GA_19-00987S

Hidden gender differences in formal and non-formal adult education

One of the most often repeated goals in modern society is making education available to all on equal terms, regardless of social origin, culture or individual characteristics such as age, gender or the socio-economic status of an individual. However, in relation to gender inequality within learning environments, in the Czech Republic the traditional roles of men and women are still deeply inscribed. The results of the present study are primarily based on an Adult Education Survey which provides high quality data on the participation rates of the Czech population in formal and non-formal adult learning and education (ALE). Despite equal gender participation rates in ALE, the presented findings show that men participate more in job-related training and job-related purposes, while women manage domestic tasks, a situation which reflects the predominance of women in part-time employment, earning a lower monthly income and obtaining less work-related learning. This socio-economic profile influences not only women's income but also affects their access to education and becomes the main barrier in the concrete form of family-related responsibilities and costs. Moreover, for women more personal-related learning has been shown to predominate as opposed to job-related education.Czech Science FoundationGrant Agency of the Czech Republic [GA_19-00987S

Factor structure of the Self-Regulation Questionnaire among adult learners from Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic

Abstract Background One of the most significant human qualities is the ability to develop, implement, and flexibly maintain planned behaviour in order to achieve one’s goals. Self-regulation has become a relatively well-researched area in the field of psychology and pedagogy. However, empirically valid and reliable instrument is still missing across European context. The primary goal of this research was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Czech version of the Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ-CZ) among adult learners from Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. Objective The aim of the present study was to examine the factor structure and psychometric properties of the SRQ-CZ validated in the Czech educational context in a multi-cultural sample. Methods A total of 1711 adult learners from European countries including Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic completed the SRQ-CZ. The first step to reviewing the validity of the SRQ-CZ included testing face validity. Furthermore, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed on half the sample and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the other half. Measurement invariance was conducted across gender, age, and country followed by the evaluation of the reliability of the final instrument. Results EFA showed that a three-factor structure best fit the data. The originally proposed Impulse Control and Self-Direction are merged into one distinct factor, while Decision Making and Goal Orientation comprise the other two. Goodness-of-fit statistics yielded from CFA showed a good fit for the model, introducing a reliable and measurement invariant instrument. Conclusion The present study used a diverse multi-cultural sample to explore the factorial structure and psychometric properties of the SRQ-CZ. A three-factor model was obtained as the result of the exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Further analysis aiming at measurement invariance, comparing the sample according to gender, age, and country, led to satisfactory results. The only exception was a lack of model fit in the case of Serbia. Although further psychometric evaluation of the SRQ-CZ is still needed, the presented results constitute significant findings, confirming instrument validity and utility as a measure of generalized self-regulation capacity across adult learners in European educational context