Validating the United Kingdom National Student Survey (NSS) for university students in Hong Kong

Abstract

The United Kingdom National Student Survey (NSS) has been widely recognized as a reliable instrument for assessing students' academic experiences at the university level. In this study, we aimed to adapt the NSS for Hong Kong students and validate the instrument in a sample of undergraduates studying in a Hong Kong private university during the academic year 2022-2023. The researchers adapted the NSS specifically for Chinese students (NSS-SFU). By adapting the NSS, we ensured that the survey questions were culturally appropriate and relevant to the educational context, especially from the student’s perspective in this university. The survey was administered to 826 final-year students in English language. Adequate internal consistency was observed for eight subscales. Moderate to high correlations (r = .69 - .85) were found among all the subscale scores and between the subscale scores. Explanatory factor analysis (EFA) and item analysis were applied to identify items for deletion and investigate the scale's factor structure. EFA results showed eight factors on which items were loading, explaining 88.09% of total variance. The results of Rasch analysis indicated that items of each dimension measured the same latent trait. Items in each subdomain fit the Rasch model well, with both Infit MNSQ and Outfit MNSQ scores in the acceptable range (0.5 - 1.5). The item reliability of each dimension was above .89. It is concluded that the NSS-SFU is a valid and reliable measure for assessing Hong Kong students’ perceptions of academic quality.