Learning enjoyment in higher education: psychometric properties of a novel assessment scale

Background The Learning Enjoyment Scale (LES) was developed to quantitatively assess students' enjoyment in learning activities, offering a standardized tool for evaluating teaching methods and identifying factors that influence enjoyment. This study presents a comprehensive psychometric evaluation of the LES, assessing its reliability, validity, and applicability in undergraduate medical and dental education. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 112 undergraduate medical and dental students to evaluate the psychometric properties of the LES. The 12-item scale, rated on a five-point Likert scale, assesses aspects of knowledge acquisition, comprehension, application, analysis, concentration, and enjoyment. Descriptive statistics and item-level responses were analyzed. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and average inter-item correlations. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA and CFA) were conducted to examine the factor structure and validate the scale. Results The LES demonstrated excellent reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.930) and strong internal consistency (inter-item correlations from 0.597 to 0.842). Factor analysis supported a unidimensional structure after removing two low-performing items, with the retained component explaining 63.178% of the total variance. LES scores were significantly associated with key variables, including teacher proficiency, topic difficulty, student participation, and stress levels ( p < 0.001). Most participants scored within the “Acceptable” and “Excellent” enjoyment categories, supporting the scale's discriminative validity. Conclusion The LES is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring learning enjoyment in learning activities. Its application can inform teaching strategies by identifying factors that enhance student engagement. Further research is recommended to explore its cross-cultural applicability across diverse educational settings.