Abstract
Background:
Global health education in tertiary institutions worldwide is at an all-time high. Until recently, most evaluations of student learning from a global exposure was in the form of a reflective paper with little information that would enable standardized assessment of the competencies gained. In 2015, the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) published a set of interprofessional global health competencies that were drawn upon to create a Global Health Competency Self-Confidence Scale and workbook. This study reports the development and validation of the scale and its implications for global health education.
Methods:
In total, 126 graduate students from a university in New York State participated in the validation process of the Global Health Competency Self-Confidence Scale—an 11-domain, 22-item competency self-assessment to measure the level of confidence of students before and after undertaking a global learning experience. The team used factor analysis to compare the scale to the Global Health Competency Survey for content validity and reliability.
Results:
Reliability and validity of the scale was determined. An exploratory factor analysis identified 4 standalone components as: (1) Ethical and Professional Practice, (2) Capacity Strengthening and Planning, (3) Structural and Social Determinants of Health, and (4) Strategic Analysis. The scale showed excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.92) and test-retest reliability (reliability (r)=0.455; P<.001). Concurrent validity was established.
Conclusion:
The Global Health Competency Self-Confidence Scale contributes to a further consolidation and refinement of competency groupings into components of global health education and offers a scale to assess student learning in global placements.
- Received: January 12, 2018.
- Accepted: August 9, 2018.
- Published: October 3, 2018.
- © Stuhlmiller and Tolchard.
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