scholarly journals National study of emergency medical services core competencies: a confirmatory factor analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Talal AlShammari ◽  
Paul Jennings ◽  
Brett Williams
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analysis ◽  
Emergency Medical Services ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Core Competency ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Emergency Medical ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
University Programs

IntroductionInternationally, the development of emergency medical services (EMS) educational standards from a post-employment to pre-employment model has gained considerable momentum. In Saudi Arabia specifically, the evolution to university-based EMS degrees has proceeded swiftly. However, the fast pace of development has contributed to considerable disparities in educational approaches between university programs. Therefore, the development of an empirically-based core competency framework is of considerable importance. The aim of this paper is to utilise confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) through structural equation modelling to confirm the theoretically developed Saudi ParamEdic Competency Scale (SPECS) model.MethodsA national cross-sectional study design with purposive sampling technique was utilised with Saudi Red Crescent Authority healthcare providers. The SPECS instrument included 41 core competency items measured on a self-reported Likert scale. The maximum likelihood method was used with all the one factor congeneric and complete CFA models.ResultsIn total, 477 EMS healthcare professionals contributed to the study: 444 (93.1%) men and 33 (6.9%) women. Of the participants, 282 (59.1%) were 29–39 years of age and 264 (55.3%) had 5 to 9 years’ experience. A CFA of the SPECS model confirmed five congeneric factors within the adequate fit measurement indices: professionalism, preparedness, communication, clinical, and personal. There was one higher order factor titled ‘paramedic competency’.ConclusionThe CFA results support the SPECS as a reliable, valid, unidimensional and psychometrically sound model for operationalisation into Saudi university curricula. The confirmed model is made up of 27 items with five factors and an overarching latent higher order construct. The SPECS model represents an empirically developed blueprint for adoption into Saudi Arabian university programs.

National study of emergency medical services core competencies in Saudi Arabia

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 245-255
Author(s):  
Talal AlShammari ◽  
Paul Jennings ◽  
Brett Williams
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Emergency Medical Services ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Core Competency ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
National Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Emergency Medical

PurposeEmergency medical services (EMS) educational standards in Saudi Arabia have developed at an unprecedented rate, and the rapid pace of development has resulted in a considerable disparity of educational approaches. Therefore, an empirically based core competency framework should be developed. The aim was to utilize exploratory factor analysis (EFA) in the reduction and generation of a theoretical Saudi competency model.Design/methodology/approachA purposive sample was utilized in a national quantitative cross-sectional study design of Saudi Red Crescent Authority (SRCA) healthcare workers. The instrument comprised 41 core competency items rated on a Likert scale. EFA alpha factoring with oblique promax rotation was applied to the 41 items.FindingsA total of 450 EMS healthcare providers participated in the study, of whom 422 (93.8 per cent) were male and 28 (6.2 per cent) female. Of the participants, 230 (60 per cent) were aged 29–39 years and 244 (54.2 per cent) had 5–9 years of experience. An EFA of instrument items generated five factors: professionalism, preparedness, communication, clinical and personal with an eigenvalue > 1, representing 67.5 per cent of total variance. Only variables that had a loading value >0.40 were utilized in the factor solution.Originality/valueThe EFA model Saudi ParamEdic Competency Scale (SPECS) has been identified, with 27 core competency items and five overarching factors. The model has considerable similarities to other medical competency frameworks. However, some aspects are specifically unique to the Saudi EMS context. The SPECS model provides an academic blueprint that can be used by paramedic educational programs to ensure empirical alignment with the needs of the industry and community.

scholarly journals Emergency medical services core competencies: a Delphi study

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Talal AlShammari ◽  
Paul Jennings ◽  
Brett Williams
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Emergency Medical Services ◽  
Delphi Study ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Core Competency ◽  
Competency Framework ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Rapid Improvement ◽  
Emergency Medical ◽  
Ems Education

IntroductionThe emergency medical services (EMS) education in Saudi Arabia has evolved considerably during the past decade and this rapid improvement has seen a disparity of educational approaches. Therefore, a core competency framework which aligns with the requirements of Saudi EMS education should be identified and accommodated. The aim of this study was to obtain professional group consensus on the desirable core competencies for EMS Bachelor degree graduates in Saudi Arabia in order to develop a core competency framework for Saudi Arabian EMS.MethodsA two-round Delphi method using a quantitative survey with a purposeful sampling technique of expert information-rich participants was used. The instrument comprised 40 core competency statements (rated on a 1-10 Likert scale, with 1 being ‘not important at all’ and 10 being ‘extremely important’) and an open-ended question. An international systematic scoping review and local national review informed the items in this study.ResultsAt the end of the second round, the response rate was 70%, and the sample demonstrated diversity in terms of qualifications, expertise and discipline. All core competencies achieved a majority and stability in the first and second rounds. Core competency items achieved the 75% consensus requirement.ConclusionThis study provided consensus on 41 core competencies specific to Saudi EMS industry requirements. However, the findings do not represent a definitive blueprint model for alignment into EMS curricula. Further research and statistical modelling for the core competencies are highly recommended.

Initial Development of the Social Work Core Competency Inventory

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 722-740
Author(s):  
Wenjie Duan ◽  
Qiujie Guan ◽  
Junrong Sheng ◽  
Bo Qi
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analysis ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Core Competency ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Initial Development ◽  
The Social ◽  
Confirmatory Factor

AbstractThe competency of social workers and social work students is pivotal. Using 931 social work undergraduates and social workers in China, the present study developed the Social Work Core Competency Inventory (SW-Core) to assess social work core competencies, and further examined its psychometric properties. This study comprised three phases. In the first phase, the ‘hierarchy competency model of social work’ was adopted as a framework to review the related literature. The six categories of competency and the corresponding item pool (fifty-five items) were constructed. In the second phase, six social work undergraduates, four Master of Social Work (MSW) students and ten social workers attended the semi-structural cognitive interviews. On the basis of their cognitive feedback and professional experience, eight core competencies were identified, and forty-seven items were retained. Finally, through exploratory factor analysis, a twenty-four-item eight-factor inventory was formulated among the first undergraduate sample (n = 315) that explained 75.87 per cent variances. The factor structure was further validated by a confirmatory factor analysis using the second undergraduate sample (n = 311). Results corroborated that the internal consistency of the eight subscales of the three samples ranged from 0.64 to 0.88. Furthermore, the multigroup confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the number of factors and factor loadings was invariant between genders, junior and senior students, and social work undergraduates and social workers. In sum, the twenty-four-item self-evaluative SW-Core was a valid measurement to assess the core competencies of social work. This also can be used as a tool to evaluate social work education in the future.

scholarly journals Emergency Medical Services Core Competencies: A Scoping Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 245-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Talal AlShammari ◽  
Paul A. Jennings ◽  
Brett Williams
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Medical Services ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Emergency Medical

scholarly journals Confirmatory Factor Analysis for a Service-Learning Outcomes Measurement Scale (S-LOMS)

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-34
Author(s):  
Ka Hing Lau ◽  
Robin Stanley Snell
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analysis ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Student Learning Outcomes ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Measurement Scale ◽  
Outcomes Measurement ◽  
Confirmatory Factor

Service-learning was introduced into Hong Kong over a decade ago, yet there is a research gap about the self-perceived student learning outcomes, partly due to the lack of a reliable measurement instrument across disciplines and service-learning types. This study evaluated a recently created Service-Learning Outcomes Measurement Scale (S-LOMS) through confirmatory factor analysis with 629 students. S-LOMS measures self-perceived student learning outcomes with 56 items covering various learning outcome domains under four higher-order categories: knowledge application; personal and professional skills; civic orientation and engagement; and self-awareness. Alternative measurement models were compared, with the results indicating that although a model with 11 domains and without higher-order categories was preferred, there was also support for a model with 10 domains subsumed under the four higher-order categories. Multi-sample analyses indicated that both models were stable across gender.

Personality Assessment Inventory: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis

1994 ◽  
Vol 79 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1441-1442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory J. Boyle ◽  
James Ward ◽  
Tania J. Lennon
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analysis ◽  
Personality Assessment ◽  
Personality Assessment Inventory ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Order Factor ◽  
Report Measure

The Personality Assessment Inventory is a recently constructed multidimensional self-report measure of personality traits. Morey reported the results of a scale factoring, claiming that the instrument measures four separate higher-order dimensions; however, in an independent Australian study of the psychometric properties of the inventory, Boyle and Lennon found five higher-order dimensions, using factor analytic procedures intended to maximize simple structure. The present paper reports the results of a confirmatory factor analysis for the proposed model based on the Australian data. The results indicate that the model does not provide a satisfactory fit, raising questions about the higher-order factor structure.

Lifetime and 12-month prevalence rates of sub-clinical psychosis symptoms in a community cohort of 50-year-old individuals

2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 302-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Rössler ◽  
M.P. Hengartner ◽  
V. Ajdacic-Gross ◽  
H. Haker ◽  
J. Angst
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
General Population ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analysis ◽  
Small Proportion ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Thought Disorder ◽  
Prevalence Rates ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Logistic Regressions

AbstractBackground:Estimation of prevalence rates of sub-clinical psychosis symptoms can vary considerably depending on the methodology used. Furthermore, discussions are ongoing how prevalence rates may differ across various syndromes.Method:We analyzed data from the prospective Zurich Study, assessing sub-clinical psychosis with a semi-structured clinical interview in a community cohort of 50 years old individuals. The higher-order factors of psychosis symptoms were analyzed with confirmatory factor analysis to validate the a priori specified symptom-structure. Further associations were examined with contingency tables and logistic regressions.Results:The confirmatory factor analysis was consistent with a structure with four higher-order syndromes. Those different syndromes were labeled “thought disorder” (lifetime prevalence = 10.6%), “ego disorder” (4.8%), “hallucination” (9.7%), and “schizotypy” (28.2%). A strong discrepancy was noted between the 12-month prevalence of any symptoms and those considered to be severe. Twelve-month prevalence rates of distressful syndromes ranged from 0.1% for hallucinations up to 6.6% for schizotypy. The most strongly interrelated syndromes were thought disorder and ego disorder (OR = 12.4).Conclusion:Our findings indicate a continuity of sub-clinical psychosis within the general population even though only a small proportion suffers from distressing symptoms. Our analyses showed that the syndromes identified here are similar to those found in full-blown schizophrenia, albeit in an attenuated form.

Higher-Order Factors and Measurement Equivalence of the Spectrum of Teaching Styles’ Questionnaire Across Two Cultures

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Ioannis Syrmpas ◽  
Athanasios Papaioannou ◽  
Nikolaos Digelidis ◽  
Gokce Erturan ◽  
Mark Byra
Keyword(s):  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analysis ◽  
Teaching Styles ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Parameter Estimates ◽  
Minimum Requirement ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis

Purpose: This study aimed to test the invariance of perceptions of the Spectrum teaching styles across Turkish and Greek preservice physical education teachers and to examine whether the styles could be classified into two clusters through self-determination theory. Greek (n = 298) and Turkish (n = 300) preservice teachers participated. Method: Cothran, Kulinna, and Ward’s questionnaire based on teachers’ use of and beliefs about teaching styles was used to examine their perceptions of the styles. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis revealed 11 factor indices and parameter estimates, suggesting that the 11-factor model fit the data. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis established metric measurement invariance across samples. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis showed that, for all higher-order models, the minimum requirement for invariance factor loading was met. The model comparison revealed that the styles could be categorized into four clusters from less to more autonomy-oriented. Conclusion: These findings might be useful to practitioners who want to use teaching styles in the promotion of students’ motivation in physical education.

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