Abstract

This present study examines the structural validity and reliability of Fisher, King, and Tague’s Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) in a representative sample of engineering students at a Chilean university. The study also focused on the scale’s variations depending on gender and career. Through the use of exploratory factor analysis, a solution with three oblique factors (self-control, self-management, and eagerness to learn) similar to—and theoretically consistent with—the original structure of the scale and other studies was obtained. These three factors and the total scale presented adequate internal consistency. Females evidenced higher performance levels than males in self-management, but no differences in the other factors. These results are discussed as preliminary evidence in support of the validity and reliability of the scale in this study population.