Opinion Scale On The Acquisition Of Simulation-Supported Professional Skills (Oueps)

<strong>Aim:</strong> The aim of this study is to test the validity and reliability of the Student Opinions Scale on Simulation Practice for Professional Skill (OSAPS) Development, which was developed to determine general opinions regarding education with simulation in the development of a professional skill in the field of health.

<strong>Method:</strong> The study, designed as methodological research, was conducted with 182 students studying in the Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Health Sciences, at a university in Istanbul. The item pool created through a literature review was prepared as 13 items following preliminary evaluation. The scale was submitted for expert opinion, and Content Validity Ratios (CVR) and the Content Validity Index (CVI) were calculated. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was performed for construct validity, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and goodness-of-fit indices were calculated, and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and item–total score correlations were determined for reliability. In the exploratory factor analysis conducted to reveal the factor pattern of the scale, one item was removed due to a low factor loading, and the remaining 12 items were grouped under a single dimension.

<strong>Results:</strong> The scale consisted of 12 items, with content validity ratios ranging from 0.81 to 1.00. One item had a CVR of 0.81, four items had 1, and seven items had 0.90. As a result of the EFA, one item had a low factor loading and was removed. The analysis indicated that the items clustered under a single factor, explaining 78.3% of the total variance. CFA fit indices were found to be at an acceptable level (CMIN/DF=4.054; GFI=0.837; CFI=0.948; TLI=0.933). The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.973, indicating excellent internal consistency. Item analysis results also showed that all items were discriminative.

<strong>Conclusion:</strong> The Student Opinions Scale on Simulation Practice for Professional Skill Development, a 12-item, five-point Likert-type scale, is a valid and reliable instrument and can be used to evaluate students’ opinions regarding simulation-based skill development education.