CROSS-CULTURAL ADAPTATION OF THE STUDENTS’ SUSTAINABLE ENGAGEMENT IN E-LEARNING SCALE INTO TURKISH: AN EVALUATION OF PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES

This study aims to adapt the six-factor "Students' Sustainable Engagement in E-Learning Scale" (SSE-eL-S) developed by Lee et al. (2019) from English to Turkish language and culture and validate its psychometric properties to be conducted as a reliable research instrument. It was designed with a three-step approach involving translation and cross-cultural adaptation, pre-testing, and field testing. First, the SSE-eL-S was cross-culturally adapted to the Turkish language and culture with forward and backward translation as well as functional, conceptual, and linguistic assessment. Subsequently, in the pre-testing phase, the English and Turkish versions of the scale were administered to a sample of 43 university students, and paired sample t-tests with Pearson correlation analyses were conducted to ensure content equivalence and reliability. In the field testing phase, data were collected from two independent student samples. Exploratory factor analysis and internal consistency analysis were applied to the first group (n=226), resulting in a four-factor structure. Confirmatory factor analysis was subsequently performed on the second group (n=206) to validate the factor structure. The model exhibited acceptable fit indices (χ²/df=2.065; CFI=0.934; IFI=0.935; RMSEA=0.072), and internal consistency coefficients ranged between 0.799 and 0.936. Furthermore, convergent and discriminant validity were confirmed through AVE, CR, MSV, and Fornell-Larcker analyses. The finalized Turkish version consisted of 20 items categorized into four factors: psychological motivation, peer collaboration, cognitive problem-solving, and learning management. The adapted SSE-eL-S provides a reliable and valid tool to measure sustainable student engagement in e-learning environments in higher education.