Validation of a Questionnaire on ICTs (Information and Communication Technologies) Skills of Undergraduate Health Students in Brazil

Abstract

The use of ICTs (information and communication technologies) is becoming more common in education, being viewed as one of the important strategies in training health care workers. As the use of ICT by students depends on their perception of easy level of use, among other factors, this paper presents the construction and statistical validation process of the ICTs scale. The instrument was applied to a sample of 244 freshmen students of five health courses, offered by a public university in Brazil. The scale aims to evaluate whether students felt able to use ICT if they were used as tools for learning. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire applied in person during the period of a week. Statistical analysis of the principal (PC), factorial (PAF), and internal consistency (Alpha Coefficient) components was performed. The scale presents a unifactorial structure, with 37 items, explaining 88.25% of the total variance, and Alpha coefficient of 0.977. Results indicate a statistically valid and reliable scale. Further research in different education contexts is suggested.