ADAPTATION OF THE MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENT SELF-EFFICACY SCALE (MASS) INTO TURKISH
Aim. Curriculum innovators are eager to evaluate the overall effects of curriculum changes. In a Belgian-Turkish collaboration we developed a scale, for content validity based on the competency frameworks of CanMEDs and The Five Star Doctor, to measure self-efficacy changes in undergraduate medical students. In this study, the reliability and construct validity of Medical Achievement Self-efficacy Scale (MASS) among Turkish medical students were examined. Material and methods. The MASS contains 18 items, to be rated on a five-point Likert scale. The study was conducted with undergraduate medical students at Hacettepe University (n=547). The Turkish form of the scale was examined for content validity by five experts. Cronbach’s alpha was calculated for reliability of the scale. Item-total correlation was calculated and the scores of lowly and highly performing groups were compared by means of a t-test. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to determine the construct validity. Results and discussion. The content validity of the Turkish MASS was considered appropriate. The reliability of the scale was high (Cronbach’s a=0,89). Item-total correlation coefficients of the Turkish MASS ranged from 0,53 to 0,70. Lower and upper score groups were compared as an indicator of the discriminant validity. All items discriminated significantly between lowly and highly performing students. Factor analysis showed that the scale has a one factor structure which explains 37,89% of the variance. Factor loadings ranged from 0,56 to 0,73. Conclusions. The study showed the reliability and delivered evidence about the construct validity of the Turkish adaptation of the MASS.