Team-based learning student assessment instrument (TBL-SAI) for assessing students’ acceptance of TBL in a Saudi medical school: Psychometric analysis and differences by academic year

OBJECTIVES: To assess psychometric properties of team-based learning student assessment instrument (TBL-SAI) and TBL acceptance by student academic year. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at College of Medicine, University of Bisha, Bisha, Saudi Arabia, between February and May 2018. Students (n=109) from second- to fourth-year were scored on TBL-SAI scale (33-items). Principal axis factoring with varimax rotation was conducted on the scale to identify the emerged factors. Cronbach’s alpha, item-total correlation were used to check the reliability and validity of the instrument. RESULTS: Cronbach’s alpha for the total scale was 0.798. The means scores of TBL-SAI scale and each subscale was favorable. On factoring analysis, 27-items of revised TBL-SAI scale were retained and 7 factors emerged. Factor 1 stands for TBL satisfaction; factors 2, 4, 5, 6 stand for TBL versus lecture preference, factors 3 and 7 stand for TBL accountability. The scale was positively correlated with each TBL favor subscale, ranged between 0.328 and 0.756. Year-4 students scored higher (p<0.001) on TBL-SAI compared to year-2 or year-3 students. CONCLUSIONS: The revised TBL-SAI is valid and reliable tool to measure the favor of TBL. Longitudinal studies across all academic levels are recommended to provide a clearer picture of the students’ acceptance rate of TBL.