Internet Skills Scale (ISS) in University Students from Chile: Factorial Structure, Reliability, Validity and Measurement Invariance of the Chilean Version

Miguel Galván-Cabello, Julio Tereucan-Angulo (), Gustavo Troncoso-Tejada, David Arellano-Silva, Víctor Sánchez-Gallegos and Isidora Nogués-Solano
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Miguel Galván-Cabello: Department of Social Work, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4780000, Chile
Julio Tereucan-Angulo: Department of Social Work, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4780000, Chile
Gustavo Troncoso-Tejada: Department of Education, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4780000, Chile
David Arellano-Silva: Graduate Academic Administration, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4780000, Chile
Víctor Sánchez-Gallegos: Faculty of Law and Social Sciences, Universidad de Monterrey, Monterrey 66238, Mexico
Isidora Nogués-Solano: Department of Social Work, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4780000, Chile

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 19, 1-18

Abstract: Within the framework of the 2030 Agenda, universities are key institutions in promoting digital competencies aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). This study evaluates the psychometric properties of the Internet Skills Scale (ISS), adapted for Chilean university students, as a tool to assess how effectively higher education fosters digital skills that enable critical participation and social inclusion. Using a sample of 906 students from nine public universities across Chile, the ISS was linguistically and culturally adapted, and its factorial structure, reliability, validity, and measurement invariance were tested. The results support a four-factor model—operational, navigation, social, and creative skills—under a second-order structure, with strong fit indices (CFI = 0.987; RMSEA = 0.055) and high internal consistency (α > 0.83). The ISS also demonstrated gender-based measurement invariance and convergent validity with digital citizenship. These findings underscore the ISS as a valid instrument for monitoring the effectiveness and equity of digital education policies in universities. Its application contributes to diagnosing institutional performance regarding the integration of digital competencies into curricula, thus guiding improvements in educational strategies toward socially just, inclusive, and sustainable digital participation.

Keywords: universities; sustainable development goals; internet skills; psychometric properties; measurement invariance; ordinal alpha (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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