DOI: 10.16986/hunefd.1985397 ISSN: 2536-4758

Adaptation and Validation of the University Adjustment Scale for Azerbaijani Students

Malak Karimova, Mirsadig Mukhtarov, Melike Yavuz
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University adjustment is a multidimensional process involving academic, social, personal–emotional, and institutional adaptation. The assessment of university adjustment using culturally appropriate and psychometrically sound instruments is important for understanding students’ adaptation processes and identifying adjustment-related difficulties. The purpose of this study was to adapt the University Adjustment Scale (UAS) into Azerbaijani and to examine its psychometric properties among Azerbaijani university students. The UAS is a multidimensional instrument designed to assess academic, social, personal–emotional, and institutional adjustment to university life. Following the linguistic and conceptual adaptation procedures, the scale was administered to university students in Azerbaijan. The study sample consisted of 499 students enrolled at Khazar University in Azerbaijan. Construct validity was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Internal consistency reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficients and corrected item–total correlations. The reliability analyses demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency for the Azerbaijani version of the UAS, with Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranging from .800 to .924 across the subdimensions and the total scale. Preliminary reliability analyses indicated that Item 41 demonstrated weak psychometric performance and was therefore excluded from subsequent analyses, resulting in a final 44-item version of the scale. The EFA findings generally supported the original four-factor structure of the UAS, and the four-factor structure explained 38.25% of the total variance. In the CFA, the chi-square value was significant (χ² = 2773.83, df = 896, p < .001). The fit indices were CFI = .776, TLI = .764, RMSEA = .065, and SRMR = .065. Overall, the findings suggest that the Azerbaijani version of the UAS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing university adjustment among Azerbaijani university students. The scale may contribute to future research and student support practices in the Azerbaijani higher education context.

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