Utilizing Factor Analysis in Instrument Development to Measure Graduate Students’ Dispositions in Online Statistics Learning

This study explored the factor structure of an instrument designed to assess graduate students’ dispositions in achieving statistical literacy in online education. A survey was developed for students and faculty in online statistics or quantitative research courses. An electronically administered survey to 75 participants, yielding 62 valid responses. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was employed to assess the instrument’s validity and reliability, determining the grouping of survey items into distinct factors, and optimizing the number of items. The EFA revealed 41 items categorized into four factors that corresponded to graduate students’ dispositions in online statistical learning. These four factors include: motivated engagement with statistics learning, confidence in statistical literacy and online learning, anxiety and insecurity towards statistics, and understanding key statistical concepts and perceptions of statistics. This research not only documented the instrument’s development process but also provided a valuable resource for comprehending graduate students’ dispositions in online statistical learning.