The teacher efficacy for inclusive practices (TEIP) scale: dimensionality and factor structure

The Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practices (TEIP) scale is designed to measure teacher‐self efficacy to teach in inclusive classrooms. The original study identified three scale factors: efficacy in using inclusive instruction (EII), efficacy in collaboration (EC), and efficacy in managing behavior (EMB) (Sharma et al., 2012). The purpose of our study was to examine the TEIP scale for dimensionality and to cross‐validate its factor structure for pre‐service teachers in the context of early childhood education. A bifactor model fit to the data revealed that the TEIP scale is essentially unidimensional, that is, there is one dominant latent factor and the originally found three scale factors (EII, EC, and EMB) represent specific aspects of the general factor of teacher self‐efficacy to teach in inclusive classrooms. Along with providing validation evidence, these findings have important implications for the scoring on the TEIP scale using classical test analysis or unidimensional item response theory models.     

DET TEORETISKE OG METODISKE GRUNNLAG FOR MODENHETSPRØVING

Werdelin, I. (1969). Relationship between Teacher Ratings, Peer Ratings, and Self Ratings of Behavior in School. Scand. J. Educ. Res., 13, 147‐169. A rating scale of student behavior was given to teachers and a self‐rating scale to the students themselves, who also judged the behavior of their classmates. The teacher rating scale was factor analyzed, separately for each sex, and so was the self‐rating scale. The teacher rating scale, the self‐rating scale, and the peer rating scale were also factor analyzed jointly. Relations with other behavior variables and intellectual variables were found. Close connection appeared between teacher ratings (including school marks) and peer ratings, while self‐ratings differed considerably from these.

This is a report from the School Mathematics Project at the School of Education, Malmö, Sweden. The data treated were collected during the author's stay in the United States, and he wants to thank Dr. Max Beberman for kind support.     

TEACHING BEHAVIOR QUESTIONNAIRE: VERIFYING FACTOR STRUCTURE AND INVESTIGATING DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN CATHOLIC MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS

Teaching behavior impacts student psychopathology. This study explored the associations between teaching behavior types and depressive symptoms in students. The Teaching Behavior Questionnaire (TBQ) and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES‐D) were completed by 763 middle and 976 high school students from private Catholic schools. In the middle school sample, a confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the four‐factor structure of the TBQ previously found in public high schools. As predicted, a two‐level hierarchical linear model (HLM) analysis with the high school sample found that only the Negative Teaching Behavior scale of the TBQ was positively related to CES‐D scores, (p < .05). A separate two‐level HLM analysis with middle school students found the Instructional Behavior scale was negatively related to CES‐D scores (p < .05) and the Organizational Behavior scale was positively related to the CES‐D scores (p < .01). Implications of the findings for school personnel are discussed.     

Factor analysis of the pervasive developmental disorders rating scale with teacher ratings of students with autistic disorder

The Pervasive Developmental Disorders Rating Scale (PDDRS; Eaves, 2003) is a rating scale that is used in the screening process for pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). The PDDRS contains three scales: Arousal, Affect, and Cognition. In this study, the construct validity of the PDDRS was examined with teacher ratings from a sample of 168 children with autistic disorder through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. In the exploratory factor analysis, a three‐factor structure was examined. Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to evaluate the model‐fit of the data for the hypothesized second‐order factor structure. The results supported the averred factor structure of the PDDRS with teacher ratings for students with autistic disorder. Limitations of the data and areas for future research are discussed. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 42: 207–216, 2005.     

Finding two dimensions in MMPI‐2 depression

This study examined the underlying structure of the Depression scale of the revised Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory using dichotomous Rasch model and factor analysis. Rasch methodology was used to identify and restructure the Depression scale, and factor analysis was used to confirm the structure established by the Rasch model. The item calibration and factor analysis were carried out on the full sample of 2,600 normative subjects. The results revealed that the Depression scale did not consist of one homogeneous set of items, even though the scale was developed to measure one dimension of depression. Rasch analysis, as well as factor analysis, recognized two distinct content‐homogeneous subscales, here labeled mental depression and physical depression. The Rasch methodology provided a basis for a better understanding of the underlying structure and furnished a useful solution to the scale refinement.     

Development of the human interaction dimension of the Self‐Regulated Learning Questionnaire in asynchronous online learning environments

Two studies focusing on the development and validation of the Online Self‐Regulated Learning Inventory (OSRLI) were conducted. The OSRLI is a self‐report instrument assessing the human interaction dimension of online self‐regulated learning. It consists of an affect/motivation scale and an interaction strategies scale. In Study 1, exploratory factor analysis of an initial affect/motivation item pool yielded four factors: enjoyment of human interaction, self‐efficacy for interaction with instructors, concern for interaction with students, and self‐efficacy for contributing to the online community. Exploratory factor analysis of an initial learning strategies item pool revealed three factors: writing strategies, responding strategies, and reflection strategies. In Study 2, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted in order to evaluate the stability of multidimensional factor structures. These exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed the OSRLI to be statistically moderate in terms of reliability and validity.     

ACADEMIC SELF‐EFFICACY AMONG JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN GHANA: EVALUATING FACTOR STRUCTURE AND MEASUREMENT INVARIANCE ACROSS GENDER

Self‐efficacy is a universal construct, but few validated measures exist for researchers in developing countries to use in assessing youths’ perceptions of their ability to achieve academic success. This study examined the cross‐cultural suitability and psychometric properties of an academic self‐efficacy scale (ASES) adapted for the Ghanaian context. ASES construct validity was assessed with a sample of 4,289 Ghanaian junior high‐school students and exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Invariance testing assessed the scale's measurement equivalence by gender and temporal stability of gender equivalence. The ASES is a valid, reliable one‐dimensional scale for assessing young Ghanaians’ perceptions of their academic capabilities, and it works equally well across genders. As adapted, ASES is a valid scale with utility for researchers examining predictors and effects of academic self‐efficacy. The ASES has important implications for decisions regarding investment in programs aimed at improving academic self‐efficacy of youth, both in sub‐Saharan Africa and the increasingly diverse American public schools.     

ASSESSING THE INCREMENTAL VALUE OF KABC‐II LURIA MODEL SCORES IN PREDICTING ACHIEVEMENT: WHAT DO THEY TELL US BEYOND THE MPI?

The current study examined the incremental validity of the Luria interpretive scheme for the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children‐Second Edition (KABC‐II) for predicting scores on the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement‐Second Edition (KTEA‐II). All participants were children and adolescents (N = 2,025) drawn from the nationally representative KABC‐II/KTEA‐II linked standardization sample. Consistent with previous studies, the full scale Mental Processing Index (MPI) score accounted for clinically significant portions of KTEA‐II score variance in all of the regression models that were assessed. In contrast, the Luria factor scores collectively failed to provide meaningful incremental predictive variance after controlling for the effects of the MPI. Individually, the factor scores consistently accounted for trivial portions of achievement variance. Potential implications of these results for the correct interpretation of the KABC‐II within clinical practice are discussed.     

Development and validation of an instrument to assess secondary school students’ perceptions of assessment tasks

Research aimed at developing and validating an instrument to assess secondary school students’ perceptions of assessment tasks was conducted. Following a review of literature, a five‐scale instrument of 40 items was trialled with a sample of 658 science students in 11 English secondary schools. Based on internal consistency reliability data and exploratory factor analysis, refinement decisions resulted in a five‐scale instrument called the Perceptions of assessment tasks inventory (PATI). The scales of the PATI are Congruence with planned learning, Authenticity, Student consultation, Transparency and Diversity.     

Survey of attitudes toward statistics: Factor structure and factorial invariance for women and men

White undergraduate students enrolled in introductory statistics courses completed the Survey of Attitudes Toward Statistics (SATS). Student responses were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis to determine the validity of several alternative models of the structure of attitudes toward statistics. A four‐factor structure composed of Affect, Cognitive Competence, Value, and Difficulty provided the best model fit. Responses of women and men to the SATS were then examined to explore scale invariance across gender. Invariance tests of factor structure, factor‐variable correlations, factor correlations, and variable uniquenesses showed that the four‐factor model fit well for both female and male responses. Only two significant differences in model fit were found: the Value variance was greater for women and the correlation between Affect and Value was greater for men. Generally, the study provided evidence for the appropriateness of a four‐factor structure of the SATS.     

Structure and prevalence of PTSD symptomology in children who have experienced a severe tornado

Children served by school psychologists are frequently impacted by natural disasters. In the United States, tornadoes are a particular threat but have been studied very little. The current investigation developed a scale for assessing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children in Kindergarten to Grade 6 impacted by a severe tornado. Six factors were found: Avoidance, Re‐experiencing, Interpersonal Alienation, Interference with Daily Functioning, Physical Symptoms/Anxiety, and Foreshortened Future. Prevalence rates for PTSD symptomology ranged from 34 to 44% for factor scores and 41% for meeting all three Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, fourth edition‐text revision (DSM‐IV‐TR; American Psychiatric Association, 2000) criteria; 40% indicated no symptoms. Children's fear during the tornado and damage to their school were related to many factor scores. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 43: 283–295, 2006.     

Improving the Use of a Group Counseling Scale and Related Model to Teach Theory and Skills Integration

This study tested the Skilled Group Counseling Training Model (SGCTM) and a related instrument, the Skilled Group Counseling Scale. Retraining of raters and later rescoring of data from a previous study resulted in an improvement of interrater reliability; a factor‐analytic study of the scale revealed a single, global factor; and students in a group counseling class who were trained in the model used at least 80% of the SGCTM skills during three videotaped, simulated group counseling sessions. During these sessions, the students adhered to one of three counseling theories (Person‐Centered, Gestalt, and Rational‐Emotive Behavioral Therapy).     

Psychometric reevaluation of the scientific attitude inventory‐revised (SAI‐II)

The central purposes of this study were to review the development and evolution of the Scientific Attitude Inventory (SAI) and then reevaluate the psychometric properties of the revised form of the SAI, the Scientific Attitude Inventory II (SAI‐II). The SAI‐II was administered to a convenience sample of 543 middle and high school students from five teachers in four schools in four school districts in San Antonio, Texas, at the beginning of the 2004–2005 school year. Confirmatory factor analysis on the full data set failed to support the existence of a 12‐factor structure (as proposed by the scale developers) or a one‐factor structure. The data were then randomly divided into exploratory [exploratory factor analysis (EFA)] validation and confirmatory [confirmatory factor analysis (CFA)] cross‐validation sets. Exploratory and confirmatory models yielded a three‐factor solution that did not fit the data well [χ² (321) = 646, p < .001; RMSEA = .061 (.90 CI = .054–.068); and CFI = .81]. The three factors were labeled “Science is About Understanding and Explaining” (13 items), “Science is Rigid” (6 items), and “I Want to Be a Scientist” (8 items). The α‐coefficients for these three factors ranged from 0.59 to 0.85. Whether these identified subscales are valid will require independent investigation. In this sample, and consistent with prior publications, the SAI‐II in its current form did not have satisfactory psychometric properties and cannot be recommended for further use. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 45: 600–616, 2008     

Proportional Reasoning Ability and Concepts of Scale: Surface area to volume relationships in science

The National Science Education Standards emphasise teaching unifying concepts and processes such as basic functions of living organisms, the living environment, and scale. Scale influences science processes and phenomena across the domains. One of the big ideas of scale is that of surface area to volume. This study explored whether or not there is a correlation between proportional reasoning ability and a student's ability to understand surface area to volume relationships. Students' knowledge of surface area to volume relationships was assessed pre and post to a one‐week instructional intervention involving investigations about surface area to volume as a limiting factor in biological and physical systems. Results showed that proportional reasoning scores of middle school students were correlated to pre‐test and post‐test assessment scores, and a paired‐sample t‐test found significant differences from pre‐test to post‐test for the surface area to volume assessment. Relationships between proportional reasoning, visualisation abilities and success in solving surface to volume problems are discussed. The implications of the results of this study for learning concepts such as magnitudes of things, limits to size, and properties of systems that change depending on volume and surface are explored.     

A research note on the dimensions of communication reticence

The present investigation extends the debate regarding the underlying structure of a general communication reticence construct. The Personal Report of Communication Apprehension, the Unwillingness‐to‐Communicate Scale and the Writing Apprehension Test were factor‐analyzed. Separate factor analyses produced multidimensional solutions for each measure. A single factor analysis of all of the scale items produced a seven factor solution that offers a better understanding of the elements contributing to a communication reticence syndrome. The emerging factors indicated that communication reticence varies according to context of communication, mode of communication, personality type of the communicator, attitudes toward the communication process, and communication history.     

Designing a user‐friendly microcomputer‐based laboratory package through the factor analysis of teacher evaluations

In this study we analyse how the experiences of chemistry teachers on the use of a Microcomputer‐Based Laboratory (MBL), gathered by a Likert‐scale instrument, can be utilized to develop the new package Empirica 2000. We used exploratory factor analysis to identify the essential features in a large set of questionnaire data to see how our previous MBL package, Empirica for Windows 4.0, looks from the point of view of experienced chemistry teachers. Together, a six‐factor solution explained 50.1% of the common variance and indicated the teachers' perspective on the use of a MBL package in chemical education. The factors were: ‘Versatility of the tool’, ‘User interface’, ‘Data presentation’, ‘Data acquisition’, ‘Set up’, and ‘Usability’. Based on the data, some conclusions concerning the software development and desired new features in the prototype software are discussed in the framework of each factor.     

Psychometric defensibility of the Intervention Selection Profile‐Social Skills (ISP‐SS) with students at risk for behavioral concerns

The purpose of the current study was to examine the validity and diagnostic accuracy of the Intervention Selection Profile—Social Skills (ISP‐SS), a brief social skills assessment tool intended for use with students in need of Tier 2 intervention. Participants included 160 elementary and middle school students who had been identified through universal screening as at risk for behavioral concerns. Teacher participants ( n = 71) rated each of these students using both the ISP‐SS and the Social Skills Improvement System—Rating Scales (SSiS‐RS), with the latter measure serving as the criterion within validity and diagnostic accuracy analyses. Confirmatory factor analysis supported ISP‐SS structural validity, indicating ISP‐SS items broadly conformed to a single “Social Skills” factor. Follow‐up analyses suggested ISP‐SS broad scale scores demonstrated adequate internal consistency reliability, with hierarchical omega coefficient equal to 0.86. Correlational analyses supported the concurrent validity of ISP‐SS items, finding each ISP‐SS item to be moderately or highly related to its corresponding SSiS‐RS subscale. Finally, analyses indicated three of the seven ISP‐SS items that demonstrated sufficient diagnostic accuracy; however, findings suggest additional revisions are needed if the ISP‐SS is to be appropriate for use in schools. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.     

Gender Differences in Pupil Attitudes to the National Curriculum Foundation Subjects of English,Mathematics, Science and Technology in Key Stage 3 in South Wales

The attitudes of pupils in South Wales to mathematics, English, science and technology were tested using a Likert‐type attitude scale. Pupils were selected from National Curriculum Key Stage 3, specifically Year 9 (age 13‐14 years). Schools were selected by their position in the 1992 National League tables produced by the Welsh Office, the schools being placed into one of four bands. The number of schools involved was 34 and the number of pupils 4263. This represents 15.3% of the total population of school children of age 13‐14 years in the region (Welsh Office, 1993). The results show gender differences in attitudes to English, mathematics, science and technology and some between school differences. The results are subjected to a factor analysis and are discussed in relation to groups of statements reflecting key aspects of each subject scale.     

Self‐efficacy of prospective Austrian and German primary school teachers regarding the implementation of inclusive education

This study examined the psychometric properties of the German version of the Teacher Inclusive Education Self‐Efficacy Scale (TIESES). Five hundred and nineteen teacher education students from Austria and 765 teacher education students from Germany participated in the study. Results of a multiple‐group confirmatory factor analysis (for the two countries) confirmed a single factor structure of the scale with partial scalar measurement invariance. Regression analysis showed that self‐efficacy when implementing inclusive education was explained by the motivation to deal with inclusive education during their studies, previous experience with inclusive education in internships, study interest and the country in which the students went to university.     

Measuring service quality in higher education: three instruments compared

Measuring the quality of service in higher education is increasingly important, particularly as fees introduce a more consumerist ethic amongst students. This paper aims to test and compare the relative efficacy of three measuring instruments of service quality (namely HEdPERF, SERVPERF and the moderating scale of HEdPERF‐SERVPERF) within a higher education setting. The objective was to determine which instrument had the superior measuring capability in terms of unidimensionality, reliability, validity and explained variance. Tests were conducted utilizing a sample of higher education students, and the findings indicated that HEdPERF scale resulted in more reliable estimations, greater criterion and construct validity, greater explained variance, and consequently was a better fit than the other two instruments. Consequently, a modified five‐factor structure of HEdPERF is put forward as the more superior scale for the higher education sector.