Practical Considerations for Using Exploratory Factor Analysis in Educational Research

The uses and methodology of factor analysis are widely debated and discussed, especially the issues of rotational use, methods of confirmatory factor analysis, and adequate sample size. The variety of perspectives and often conflicting opinions can lead to confusion among researchers about best practices for using factor analysis. The focus of the present review is to clarify terminology, identify key issues, and clarify areas of debate regarding best practices and functions of factor analytic procedures., The conclusions and implications drawn should be useful to researchers in education, psychology, and cognate social fields who employ factor analytic procedures or evaluate research using factor analytic…