Development and validation of the Attitudes toward Education for Older Adults (AEOA) scale

The purpose of this study is to validate a multidimensional measure assessing attitudes toward education for older adults. As the elderly population and the demands of education among older adults have increased, the engagement of social workers in educational settings for older adults has also increased. Therefore, assessing social workers’ attitudes toward education for older adults is critical to better understand the appropriate circumstances for successfully providing and expanding educational programs for older adults. Using a sample of 227 social work students, a multidimensional scale consisting of 38 items was developed by focusing on the three subconstructs of attitudes: cognition, emotion, and behavior. Across various statistical analyses such as the examination of coefficient α and the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), this scale consistently demonstrated strong reliability and validity. This new reliable and valid scale may contribute to the quality of educational programs for older adults by providing for social workers and other helping professionals with an opportunity to examine their attitudes toward educational services for older adults.     

Inadequate Social Acceptance and Disruptive Classroom Behavior

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between scholastic behavior and attitudinal variables and the interrelationship of scholastic behavior variables. Seventy-two students of general psychology answered a sentence completion attitude scale which measured attitudes toward two specific factors'-instructor and the course, and two general factors,-college and life. Scholastic behavior measures were absences, tardiness, and course grades. Attitudes toward life were identified as a suppressor and its variances statistically removed. Significant partial correlations were found between absences and both of the attitudes toward college and the composite of the four factors (p > .05). Significant relationships were also found for course grades with the attitudes toward the course and the composite scores. While tardiness scores were significantly negatively correlated with course grades, absence scores were not.     

The demand for student loans in higher education: A study of preferences and attitudes

This empirical study examined postsecondary-student attitudes and preferences regarding five discrete student loan plans and loan plan features. Certain demographic variables were examined for their relationship to student attitudes toward the various loan plans. The study addressed the following questions: What debt ceiling do students identify as acceptable? Are students willing to indebt themselves over an extended time span? What percent of annual income do they feel reasonably can be applied to loan repayment? Will students alter their repayment plan choices given additional and more detailed information about loan options? A random sample of 218 recipients of federal higher education loans during the 1973–74 academic year was drawn from the population of 6,765 undergraduate borrowers at the University Park Campus of the Pennsylvania State University.     

The Educators’ Attitudes Toward Disability Scale (EADS): A Pilot Study

This article presents the Educators’ Attitudes toward Disability Scale (EADS). This scale was developed from the Social Workers Attitudes toward Disability Scale (SWADS). A sample of 128 postsecondary educators from one college and one university in Ontario, Canada completed the EADS, the Attitudes toward Disabled Persons scale (ATDP), and a demographic questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to verify that the subscales from the original SWADS (i.e. affect, behaviour/practice, and cognition) were present in the EADS. Pearson’s correlation was also calculated between the scores on the Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons-Form B (ATDP-B) and the EADS as a measure of validity. Finally, Cronbach’s alpha was calculated for the purpose of internal reliability among the items in the EADS. Preliminary findings suggest that the EADS may be a valid and reliable instrument, but measures attitudes unidimensionally.     

Relationship between perceived levels of classroom individualization and science-related attitudes

Relationships between perceived levels of classroom individualization and science-related attitudes were explored for a sample of 712 junior high school science students. Five dimensions of perceived individualization (personalization, participation, independence, investigation, and differentiation) were measured with the Individualized Classroom Environment Questionnaire (ICEQ), while seven distinct attitudes were measured with the Test of Science-Related Attitudes (TOSRA). Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the set of individualization variables accounted for a significant increment in end-of-year attitude scores, beyond that attributable to corresponding beginning-of-year attitude scores, for four of the seven attitudes considered. Significant associations between an individual individualization variable and an attitudinal dimension were positive in all cases. The study also provided support for the reliability and validity of the ICEQ and TOSRA and for their general usefulness in science education research.     

Attitude Toward Cheating and Opportunistic Behavior

Abstract

The problem was to Investigate attitude" toward cheating and the incidence of opportunistic cheating behavior in samples of undergraduate and graduate college student". Attitudes were assessed through the administration of Anderson’s attitudinal measurement instrument. Opportunistic cheating was observed through the utilization of contrived situations applied under two different levels of stress. Findings suggest that (a) attitudes toward cheating as measured by Anderson's scale do not appear to reflect the actual behavior of the respondents, and (b) In a given situation, regardless of the presence or absence of stress, approximately one-third of a college class will cheat opportunistically if the climate is an advantageous one.     

A scale for home visiting nurses to identify risks of physical abuse and neglect among mothers with newborn infants

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to construct and test the reliability (utility, internal consistency, interrater agreement) and the validity (internal validity, concurrent validity) of a scale for home visiting social nurses to identify risks of physical abuse and neglect in mothers with a newborn child. METHOD: A 71-item scale was constructed based on a literature review and focus group sessions with social nurses and paraprofessionals who had experience with underprivileged families. This scale was applied in a random sample of 40 home visiting social nurses, who collected data in a sample of 373 nonabusive and 18 abusive/neglectful mothers with a newborn child. RESULTS: Items with prevalence rates below 5% and items making no significant difference between maltreating and non-maltreating mothers were omitted. The final version contained 20 items. This scale showed high internal consistency (alpha = .92) and high interrater reliability (r = .97). Exploratory factor analysis yielded a three-factor solution: Isolation (8 items, explaining 62.17% of the common variance), Psychological complexity (6 items, 18.86%), and Communication problems (6 items, 8.41%). Scores on Communication problems and Isolation significantly predicted scores on a social deprivation scale, which significantly distinguished maltreating from non-maltreating mothers. Mothers scoring high on Communication problems or Isolation obtained higher scores for social deprivation than low-scoring mothers. CONCLUSIONS: Home visiting nurses can identify risks for physical abuse and neglect among mothers with a newborn infant by focusing on signs of social isolation, distorted communication and psychological problems.     

Reliability and Validity Issues for Two Common Measures of Medical Students' Attitudes toward Older Adults

Results are reported from 2 common measures of medical student attitudes toward older adults: Maxwell-Sullivan Attitude Survey (MSAS); and UCLA Geriatrics Attitude Survey (GAS), with students entering the University of South Carolina School of Medicine (USCSM) in the period 2000–2005. A reliability analysis incorporating item means, Cronbach's alpha, item correlation matrix, and, Spearman-Brown prediction for positively and negatively worded items was conducted. Internal consistency results were unacceptable, revealing reliability and validity problems in this sample of medical students. Reconsideration of the use of these common measures, and a reframing of attitudes of medical students toward older adults seem appropriate.     

Do Latino Youth Really Want to Get Pregnant?: Assessing Pregnancy Wantedness

Despite recent declines, Latinas bear a disproportionate burden of teen births. Understanding social, cultural, and demographic factors underlying pregnancy desire among Latino adolescents is needed to design effective teen pregnancy prevention interventions.

A questionnaire was completed by 794 Latino youth including a “pregnancy wantedness scale” (PWS) to assess attitudes toward an early pregnancy and socio-demographic variables. Regression analyses examined the association between these variables and PWS score. PWS scores for all groups were below but near the midpoint, suggesting ambivalence toward an early pregnancy. Being female, older, acculturated, using hormonal contraception, living with parents, and having an educated mother were significantly associated with lower PWS scores, but impacted youth differently depending on their sex and sexual experience. Multi-component Latino teen pregnancy prevention strategies should address behavioral and attitudinal differences based on sex and sexual experience and acknowledge the contribution of social determinants on pregnancy intentions.     

The development and validation of the Attitudinal Learning Inventory (ALI): a measure of attitudinal learning and instruction

In this paper, we present the development and validation of a new measure of attitudinal learning—the Attitudinal Learning Inventory (ALI). While specific scales are available for measuring attitudes, they largely focus on established attitudes, not the impact of instruction on those attitudes. We developed the inventory with two explicit objectives: (1) to measure a broad range of attitude constructs representing a holistic view of attitudinal learning and instruction; and (2) to facilitate the measurement of attitudinal learning that can be useful for educational researchers beyond traditional metrics. The ALI was developed and validated across two samples of a total of 1009 participants with diverse demographics. The ALI comprises 15 scale items and exhibited good psychometric properties and conformed to the theoretical four-dimensional structure of attitudinal learning: cognitive, affective, behavioral, and social. The ALI was also shown to correlate with behavioral metrics of class engagement. Future uses of the new measure are discussed. Participants were taken from entirely online populations, and while demographically diverse, implementation of the scale with face-to-face instruction, in varied settings, and across different groups of learners is needed to provide additional evidence of its intended generalizability and consider possible biases.     

A quantitative and qualitative inquiry into the attitudes toward science of nonscience college students

The attitudes toward science of nonscience college students were investigated using quantitative and qualitative forms of inquiry. Quantitative methods were used to determine (a) how attitudes toward science of nonscience college students compare with attitudes of science majors, and (b) whether attitudes toward science change with instruction. Qualitative assessment was used to investigate attitude development as it relates to science. The subjects were 102 nonscience students and 81 science students. Six attitudinal variables were investigated using the Attitudes Toward Science Inventory (ATSI) as the quantitative instrument. Hotelling's T² showed a significant difference (p = 0.0001) in attitudes between the two groups. T tests revealed significant differences between the two groups for all six variables. A significant difference (p = 0.0001) was found between pretest and posttest results for the nonscience students. T tests showed significant differences between the two sets of scores for all six variables, indicating a favorable change in attitudes. An interview questionnaire was used to investigate factors contributing to attitude development. The interview results suggested that attitudes toward science are formed by interactions of both school and nonschool variables.     

EFL Writers' Attitudes and Perceptions toward F-Portfolio Use

Atitudes toward and perceptions of using Facebook as a portfolio-keeping tool in teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) writing. In general, existing research reveals primarily positive effects of Facebook on educational activities, and research on portfolio keeping in EFL writing shows both benefits and problem areas. Thus, the current study aims to investigate EFL writers’ attitudes toward using Facebook as a portfolio (F-Portfolio) tool and their perceptions regarding its benefits and problems. The sample group consisted of 101 EFL learners. A portfolio attitude scale, portfolio contribution questionnaire and a portfolio problem questionnaire were used to collect data. Four results were obtained from the study: (1) EFL writers have positive attitudes toward the use of F-Portfolios in EFL writing; (2) F-Portfolios improve EFL learNo results have been reported regarding at- ners’ knowledge of vocabulary and grammar, as well as their research, reading and writing skills; (3) EFL learners perceive some problems during the F-Portfolio process; and (4) some independent variables are significantly correlated with a limited number of items in the scales.     

Examining students’ affective commitment toward country: a case study of a Singapore primary school

The purpose of this study was to examine students’ affective commitment toward Singapore. Affective commitment refers to the sense of attachment to the nation state. The sample was taken from 286 students in a primary school. In the first section of the paper, we described the design of a Likert-type Affective Commitment to Country questionnaire. Factor analyses (principal component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis) showed evidence of construct validity for the 10-item scale, and an overall Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient of 0.91. In the second section, we reported the statistics related to the students’ affective commitment scores. Overall, a positive affective commitment toward the country was found. Results of our t-test analyses revealed that no statistically significant difference was found between boys and girls for each of the questionnaire items. However, students who had higher academic achievement reported significantly higher scores than their lower ability counterparts with regard to six items of the questionnaire. Suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Measuring children’s environmental attitudes and values in northwest Mexico: validating a modified version of measures to test the Model of Ecological Values (2-MEV)

This paper describes the validation process of measuring children’s attitudes and values toward the environment within a Mexican sample. We applied the Model of Ecological Values (2-MEV), which has been shown to be valid and reliable in 20 countries, including one Spanish speaking culture. Items were initially modified to fit the regional dialect, culture, and bioregional context of our Mexican population. In Stage 1, we applied the scale to quantify the environmental attitudinal and value impacts of an environmental service learning program with 22 children in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Program effects were evaluated using a pre-test/post-test design quantifying preservation and utilization views of the environment. Based upon further cultural insights and the results from Stage 1, in Stage 2, we modified two more items to reflect the culture of philanthropy and associational life in Mexico. To test the structure of this finalized instrument, we applied the model in Stage 2 with a group of 335 children. We successfully extracted the already known factor structure covering the two higher order values of preservation and utilization. In general, the underlying primary attitudes were also confirmed, with the exception of two neighboring ones: Care with Resources and Intent of Support, which merged into one.     

Socially desirable responding in an environmental context: development of a domain specific scale

Numerous studies have pointed to a gap between the attitudes people express about the natural environment and their subsequent behaviors toward that environment. Variables identified within these studies include: how significant others view behaviors related to the attitudes; demographic variables such as sex, age or education; self‐perceived ability to do the attitude‐related behavior; attitude strength; and personal relevance of the attitude. This study proposes the concept of environmental desirability responding (EDR) as another factor which might contribute to the attitude‐behavior discrepancy. The development and construct validation of the Environmentally Desirable Response Scale (EDRS), which is designed to identify the existence and level of EDR, is described. The EDRS contains items designed to measure two types of socially desirable responding – ‘Self‐deception’ and ‘Image management’. A total of 1024 usable data sets were obtained from a sample of respondents in several countries (Japan, the US and Australia). Principal factors and correlation analyses revealed that the EDRS comprises three factors identified as ‘Self‐deception/Assertion of positives’, ‘Image management’ and ‘Self‐deception/Denial of negatives’. Cronbach alpha estimates of reliability for the three factors were .74, .66, and .61. Suggestions for further research regarding the scale and EDR are offered.     

Attitudes of introductory college biology students toward evolution

Introductory college biology students were surveyed to investigate their attitudes toward evolution. Thurstone's Scale No. 30, Form A, Attitudes Toward Evolution was used to survey the sample. Results indicate that the majority of introductory biology students believe in the theory of evolution. Two demographic variables, sex and influence of the church, produced a significant correlation with the attitude scores. There were significant interactions between sex and influence of high school biology teacher and between sex and major. Self rating by the individual students and attitude scores also produced a significant correlation. Construct validity of the attitude scale was supported by the significant correlation between student self rating and scale scores. ANOVA produced a F value significant at the 0.01 probability level, and Spearman's correlation coefficient between the two measures was 0.73. Although the Thurstone Scale No. 30, Form A, is over 45 years old, the results of this study suggest that it is a reliable instrument for use today with modifications in item construction, scaling or adaptation to other scoring methods.     

The development of the image of science and scientists scale

The Image of Science and Scientists Scale was developed to assess students' attitudes toward science. The instrument items are based on the 1957 summaries presented by Margaret Mead and Rhoda Metraux. The reliability of the instrument, using coefficient alpha, ranged from 0.76 in the pilot to 0.86 in the second phase of the study. Construct validity was obtained by comparing a science-oriented group versus a random sample to determine if the instrument could discriminate between the groups. With IQ controlled, the science group performed significantly higher (t = 2.58 ?p < 0.012). Furthermore, scores in ISSS contributed significantly to the prediction of science grades as determined by multiple regression analysis.     

Cognitive and Attitudinal Predictors Related to Line Graphing Achievement among Elementary Pre-service Teachers

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which six cognitive and attitudinal variables predicted pre-service elementary teachers’ (N = 87) performance on line graphing. Predictors included reading comprehension and mathematics scores, logical thinking performance scores, as well as measures of attitudes toward science, mathematics and graphing. Results indicated that mathematical and logical thinking ability were the most significant predictors of line graph performance among the other variables, accounting for 41% of the total variability. Findings from this study suggest that elementary science education programs augment instruction to include aspects of mathematics and logical thinking.     

Predicting College Performance of American Indians: A Large‐Sample Examination of the SAT

Extensive research has examined the validity and fairness of standardized tests in academic admissions. However, due to their underrepresentation in higher education, American Indians have gained much less attention in this research. In the present study, we examined for American Indian students (1) group differences on SAT scores, (2) the predictive and incremental validity of SAT over high school grades, (3) the effect of socioeconomic status on SAT validity, (4) differential prediction in the use of SAT scores, and (5) potential omitted variables that could explain differential prediction for American Indian students. Results provided evidence of predictive and incremental validity of SAT scores, and the validity of SAT scores was largely independent of socioeconomic status. Overprediction was found when using SAT scores to predict college performance and it was reduced when including high school grades as an additional predictor. This study provides substantial evidence of the validity and fairness of SAT scores for American Indians.