Psychometric Properties of the Turkish Version of the VARK Learning Style Inventory for Athletes

Background Understanding how athletes learn and recognizing their learning styles are among the key cognitive and sensory components that contribute to more effective instructional planning and enhanced performance. This study aimed to adapt the VARK Learning Style Inventory for Athletes into Turkish and to comprehensively examine its psychometric properties. Methodology A total of 854 licensed active athletes from both team and individual sports in Turkey participated in this study. The VARK Learning Style Inventory for Athletes, originally developed by Dunn and Fleming (2011), was used as the primary instrument. Data were analyzed using SPSS (v26) and LISREL (v8.80). The psychometric evaluation of the inventory included assessments of construct validity and reliability. Results Construct validity was examined using Multitrait-Multimethod Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MTMM-CFA), which revealed excellent model fit χ²/df (3925.13/1991) = 1.97 and other acceptable fit indices (RMSEA = 0.034, GFI = 0.91, AGFI = 0.87, CFI = 0.90, NNFI = 0.90, IFI = 0.90, SRMR = 0.05, PNFI = 0.74, PGFI = 0.84), thereby confirming the four-factor VARK structure. The relationships among the four learning style factors were strong, with correlations ranging from 0.736 to 0.943. In terms of reliability, the Kuder-Richardson 20 (KR-20) coefficients for the subscales ranged from 0.574 to 0.623, indicating moderate internal consistency. Conclusions In conclusion, the findings provide robust evidence that the Turkish version of the VARK Learning Style Inventory for Athletes has satisfactory psychometric properties. It can be considered a valid and reliable tool for assessing learning styles among Turkish athletes. Future applications of the inventory across diverse sport branches are recommended to gather further psychometric evidence and to explore its practical utility in tailoring athletic instruction. In addition, this study contributes to the advancement of measurement practices in sport and exercise sciences by providing a rigorously validated tool for assessing athletes’ learning preferences through robust psychometric evidence.