Development and validation of the learning schedule adherence scale (LSAS) for university students

The development of any measure on university students’ adherence to academically predetermined timetables and scheduled coursework is yet to be determined. To achieve this goal, the present research developed a new scale, Learning Schedule Adherence Scale (LSAS), and examined its factor structure and validity in the higher education context of Bangladesh. Content validity of the LSAS resulted in the retention of five items for the intended construct after reviewing relevant literature and expert opinions. The 5-item LSAS was then administered on a conveniently selected sample of 716 university students and single-factor structure was explored using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). This factor retention was ensured through parallel analysis. To validate the factor structure, confirmatory factor analysis was run, and the data showed an excellent model fit to the single-factor solution. The newly developed LSAS also demonstrated the scale’s invariability to apply it across gender. Moreover, a negative association of LSAS with perceived stress and positive one with the academic performance exhibited the convergent validity of the scale. Altogether, these results established LSAS an efficient measure to be used by the educationists in detecting students’ adherence to academic timetables and scheduled coursework, implicating proper interventions for their better academic engagement and performance.