Abstract

Introduction. Given the global concern for attracting more and better candidates to teaching careers, we must have instruments to help us identify these potential candidates. In Chile, there needs to be more evidence of the motivational and perceptual factors that influence the choice of studies in Education. The aim is to study the psychometric properties of the Fit-Choice scale in the Chilean population. This scale was developed in Australia by Watt & Richardson (2007) and translated into Spanish by Gratacós & López-Jurado (2016) and identifies factors that influence the choice of careers in education. Method. A cross-sectional instrumental design was adopted. A total of 921 students from four Chilean universities (65% women) who are in their fifth year of initial teacher training for early childhood education (9.1%), primary education (17.1%), and various disciplines of secondary education (73.8%) participated in the study. The instrument’s factor structure was evaluated through a confirmatory factor analysis with a maximum likelihood estimator. Evidence of internal consistency was obtained using McDonald’s Omega (?), obtaining good reliability indexes. Results. The results show that the version of the scale is valid and reliable for use in the Chilean context. The factor structure of the original scale, which consists of two subscales and 18 factors, is tested. The findings are consistent with the version validated in other Spanish-speaking countries. Discussion or Conclusion. This scale is valid and reliable, and its use is appropriate for Spanish-speaking contexts such as Chile. The psychometric characteristics show that it is possible to use this instrument for its specific purposes but also, given its cross-cultural validity, to conduct comparative research with other countries where it has been validated. © Universidad de Almería and Ilustre Colegio Oficial de la Psicología de Andalucía Oriental (Spain)