Testing robustness, model fit, and measurement invariance of the Student Engagement Scale in an African university context

This study examined a modified version of the Student Engagement Scale, as adopted from the Australasian Survey of Student Engagement. It did so through examining model fit, predictive validity of the engagement factor, and testing of score reliability and measurement invariance across colleges and class years. Participants were volunteer undergraduate students (n = 536) from two colleges of a large university in Ethiopia. Confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modelling was used. The results reasonably supported a nine-factor model over other models, and testing of measurement invariance confirmed a good model fit for the nine-factor model across college and class year. Overall, the findings demonstrated supporting evidence for the validity of the nine-factor structure.