Validation of Climate and Motivational Measures from the College Exercise Class Setting to the Physiology Laboratory Setting

Abstract

The purpose of this study grounded in the Achievement Goal Perspective Theory (AGPT) and a Caring framework was to effectively adapt previously validated measures of caring, task-involving (CTI), and ego-involving (EI) climates for college exercise classes to the college science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) laboratory setting. The items’ measurement quality was assessed over two studies. Students (NStudy1 = 249, female 73%; NStudy2 = 199, female 78%) enrolled in biology laboratory courses were invited to complete a survey during the last two weeks of their laboratory course. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed overall good fit, however, two EI items had low loadings, so their wording was revised for Study 2. CFA results of Study 2 provided reliability and validity support for the use of these relatively brief and easy to administer measures in the college laboratory setting. This research provides additional support for creating CTI climates in the college laboratory setting.