Translation, cultural adaptation and validation of the Attitude Scale towards e-learning (ATel) into the Greek language

Abstract

INTRODUCTION During the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing students were challenged with a new digital reality of distance education. The aim of the study was the translation into Greek, cultural adaptation and validation of the Attitude Scale towards e-learning (ATel) during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS A questionnaire already developed through theoretical research by experts in the Philippines was used. The present study reports the translation, cultural adaptation and validation of the measurement of the attitude of nursing students regarding the sudden implementation of distance education in Greece during the pandemic. The translation strategy for intercultural research was used to translate the questionnaire into Greek. A cross-sectional study was performed among 341 undergraduate nursing students, who were recruited by convenience sampling and analyzed for validity and reliability. Cronbach's alpha was applied for measuring the internal consistency of data. Independent samples t-test or the corresponding non-parametric Mann-Whitney test was applied for comparing means or distributions between continuous variables divided into two groups. RESULTS The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin and Cronbach's alpha scores showed satisfactory results. The value of alpha was 0.90, indicating that the sample size was suitable for factor analysis. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were determined through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The main findings of this study were that the marital status of the participants, their age (which was proportional to their attitude) and their previous experience in distance education through the COVID-19 pandemic restrictive measures, influenced the adaptation of the population to the new educational conditions. CONCLUSIONS The questionnaire was found to have satisfactory psychometric properties in Greece and therefore can be used as a tool in future research on the attitude of nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. © 2022. All Rights Reserved.