AN ASSESSMENT SCALE FOR TRAINEE ENGAGEMENT IN THE PORTUGUESE NAVY

In this study an Assessment Scale for Trainee Engagement in the Portuguese Navy (ASTE-PN) was designed for the Portuguese military context. The sample involved 149 trainees of the Training Course for Petty Officers 1st Class of the Portuguese Navy, ages ranging from 25 to 36, mostly of male gender. The psychometric properties of the study are presented and the results from the factor analysis displayed, which highlighted three factors – cognitive engagement, affective engagement and behavioral engagement. The scale presented good internal consistency indexes. When studying external validity, the scale factors appeared correlated, as expected, with other variables of commitment to training tasks, assessed with the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). Subsequent studies may increase the external validity and also the qualities of the designed scale, contributing to the assessment in the scope of Psychology and Education research.