Adaptation and Validation of the Academic Interest Scale for Vietnamese High School Students: Application in Chemistry Education

The decline in student enrollment and engagement in Chemistry education has become a pressing concern, necessitating reliable tools to measure academic interest. However, validated instruments tailored to this subject remain limited. This study aimed to adapt and validate the Academic Interest Scale for Adolescents for Vietnamese high school students in Chemistry education. Using a cross?sectional survey design, data were collected from 380 students across three regions of Vietnam via a structured questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to examine the factor structure, and measurement invariance was tested across sex and grade levels. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis supported the four-factor structure with 29 items, demonstrating strong model fit indices and high reliability. Invariance testing confirmed sex-based equivalence at all levels (configural, metric, and scalar), ensuring unbiased comparisons. While metric invariance across grade levels was established, scalar invariance was initially unsupported, indicating variations in item intercepts. Allowing covariance between two items significantly improved model fit, validating the modification. These findings provide empirical support for the validity and reliability of the Academic Interest Scale for Adolescents in Chemistry education, offering a robust tool to assess academic interest and inform future interventions to enhance student engagement.