Review article
Some Doubts about the Use of Factor Analysis in the Field of Research Education (Pedagogy)
Siniša Opić
orcid.org/0000-0001-9800-0145
; Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb
Abstract
The aim of this article is to clarify some doubts regarding the application of factor analysis. Some of these problems dealt with here are: the difference between factor analysis and principal component analysis, the selection of proper size and aspect ratio of the sample and the number of variables, the difference between the orthogonal and oblique rotation, the selection of the appropriate criteria for stopping the extraction of factors (Guttman-Kaiser criteria and Cattel screening test), and the selection of the appropriate matrix for the interpretation of factors (the pattern matrix and the structure matrix). These dilemmas in research education (emphasis on pedagogy) are extremely important and descriptions of various authors provide readers with an independent conclusion regarding the selection of a specific interpretation or point of view, in accordance with the input parameters of one’s own research. The complexity of factor analysis highlights questionability of unambiguous positions, that is, it highlights questioning the selection of appropriate statistical parameters.
Keywords
factor analysis; rotation; variance; the method of principal components (PCA); pattern matrix; structure matrix
Hrčak ID:
94781
URI
Publication date:
26.12.2012.
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