Kristina Mikkonen1, Anna-Maria Tuomikoski2, Tuulikki Sjögren3, Meeri Koivula4, Minna Koskimäki4, Marja-Leena Lähteenmäki5, Hanne Mäki-Hakola6, Outi Wallin7, Marjorita Sormunen8, Terhi Saaranen8, Camilla Koskinen9, Monika Koskinen10, Leena Salminen11, Arja Holopainen12, Maria Kääriäinen13. 1. Research Unit of Nursing Science and Health Management, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: kristina.mikkonen@oulu.fi. 2. Research Unit of Nursing Science and Health Management, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Nursing Research Foundation, Finland; The Finnish Centre for Evidence-based Health Care: A Joanna Briggs Institute Affiliated Group, Finland; WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing, Helsinki, Finland. 3. Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland. 4. Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland. 5. Degree Programme in Physiotherapy, Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Tampere, Finland. 6. Pedagogical R&D, Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Tampere, Finland. 7. Degree Programme in Social Services, Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Tampere, Finland. 8. Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing Science, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland. 9. Faculty of Education and Welfare Studies, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland; Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Caring and Ethics, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway. 10. Faculty of Education and Welfare Studies, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland. 11. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Nursing Science, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. 12. Nursing Research Foundation, Finland; The Finnish Centre for Evidence-based Health Care: A Joanna Briggs Institute Affiliated Group, Finland; WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing, Helsinki, Finland. 13. Research Unit of Nursing Science and Health Management, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Health and social care education is highly important for preparing future professionals for their future roles in sustainable health and social care. However, previous studies have emphasized that health and social care educators' competence is complex and poorly defined. Thus, there is a clear need for a psychometrically validated instrument to enable clarification and assessment of the required skills. OBJECTIVE: To develop and psychometrically validate an instrument (the HeSoEduCo) for assessing health and social care educators' competence in higher and professional education. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: A HeSoEduCo instrument, with items inviting 1-4 Likert scale responses, was developed, based on one systematic review and one qualitative study, then validated in terms of face, content and construct validity and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha values). All health and social care educators based in all 21 universities of applied sciences in Finland and seven vocational colleges were subsequently invited to participate in a large-scale application of the instrument in fall 2018. In total, responses of 390 of these educators are analyzed here. RESULTS: The face and content validity of 71 newly developed items were assessed by experts in two evaluation rounds. The final content validity showed high scores for the instrument's relevance and clarity. Confirmatory factor analysis (to test construct validity) yielded eight factors (43-items remaining), defining the following competence areas of educators: evidence-based practice, digital collaborative learning, student-centered pedagogy, collaboration & societal, leadership & management, cultural & linguistic diversity, mentoring student into professional competence development and subject & curriculum. Cronbach's alpha values for the factors ranged from 0.70 to 0.89. CONCLUSION: The instrument can be used to obtain self-evaluations of educators' competence when assessing their general competence levels and help human resources departments and managers to identify suitable continuous education programs for their staff.
BACKGROUND: Health and social care education is highly important for preparing future professionals for their future roles in sustainable health and social care. However, previous studies have emphasized that health and social care educators' competence is complex and poorly defined. Thus, there is a clear need for a psychometrically validated instrument to enable clarification and assessment of the required skills. OBJECTIVE: To develop and psychometrically validate an instrument (the HeSoEduCo) for assessing health and social care educators' competence in higher and professional education. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: A HeSoEduCo instrument, with items inviting 1-4 Likert scale responses, was developed, based on one systematic review and one qualitative study, then validated in terms of face, content and construct validity and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha values). All health and social care educators based in all 21 universities of applied sciences in Finland and seven vocational colleges were subsequently invited to participate in a large-scale application of the instrument in fall 2018. In total, responses of 390 of these educators are analyzed here. RESULTS: The face and content validity of 71 newly developed items were assessed by experts in two evaluation rounds. The final content validity showed high scores for the instrument's relevance and clarity. Confirmatory factor analysis (to test construct validity) yielded eight factors (43-items remaining), defining the following competence areas of educators: evidence-based practice, digital collaborative learning, student-centered pedagogy, collaboration & societal, leadership & management, cultural & linguistic diversity, mentoring student into professional competence development and subject & curriculum. Cronbach's alpha values for the factors ranged from 0.70 to 0.89. CONCLUSION: The instrument can be used to obtain self-evaluations of educators' competence when assessing their general competence levels and help human resources departments and managers to identify suitable continuous education programs for their staff.