Validation of the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure in Iran through factor analysis

Introduction: Although the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) has been accepted for educational environment assessment in various health education backgrounds, limited studies have confirmed evidence for its use in Iran. This study examined a shortened version of the DREEM-50 among Iranian students. Method: A sample of 316 medical and paramedical students from Iran's selected southwest Universities of Medical Sciences in 2020–2021 were invited to complete DREEM-33, a shortened version of the DREEM questionnaire. Psychometric criteria for assessing reliability included Cronbach's alpha, intracluster correlation coefficient (ICC), and composite coefficients. In the construct validity section, discriminant validity was measured using the Fornell and Larcker criteria based on the confirmatory factor analysis approach, and principal component analysis with varimax rotation using the exploratory factor analysis approach. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25, Smartpls 3.2.8, and Lisrel 8.8 software. Results: The shortened version had 33 items spread across all five components of DREEM-50. The exploratory factor analysis showed that the five components with eigenvalues > 1 accounted for 61% of the variance. Also, standard factor loadings ranged from 0.52 to 0.86. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the original five components of the DREEM (χ2= 2106.35; DF=490; P<0.001; CFI=0.94; GFI=0.86; AGFI=0.91; NFI=0.93; SRMR=0.038; RMSEA=0.08). The ICC and Cronbach's alpha for the whole DREEM was 0.92. All subscales had values ranging from 0.72 to 0.93. Conclusion: With satisfactory psychometric properties, the abbreviated DREEM-33 demonstrated its validity and reliability for future use in Iran in various educational environments.