A Construct Validity Study of Scores on a Korean Version of an Academic Self-Concept Scale for Secondary School Students

Abstract

For each of three samples of 213 8th-grade girls, 191 11th-grade boys, and 213 11th-grade girls attending schools in Korea, the twofold purpose of this investigation was to obtain evidence of the internal-consistency reliability and construct validity of scores on each of the five factor subscales of a Korean version of an academic self-concept instrument titled Dimensions of Self-Concept (DOSC), Form S. Internal-consistency estimates of the reliability of scores on the five 14-item factor subscales fell between .63 and .89, with a median value approximating .78. Confirmatory maximum-likelihood factor analyses for five alternative substantive factor models indicated that both a five-factor oblique model and a hierarchical factor model comprising a general factor correlated with interrelated first-order factors explained the greatest percentage of covariance in the two matrices for the two samples of 11th-grade students. The five hypothesized constructs of the DOSC, Form S (Korean version) received at least modest empirical support.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Al-Samarrai, N. , Michael, W. B. , & Hocevar, D. (1993). The development and validation of an Arabic version of an academic self-concept scale. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 53, 249-257.

Bagozzi, R. P. , & Heatherton, T. T. (1994). A general approach to representing multi-faceted personality constructs: Application to self-esteem. Structural Equation Modeling, 1, 35-67.

Bentler, P. M. (1990). Comparative fit indices in structural models. Psychological Bulletin, 107, 238-246.

Bentler, P. M. (1993). EQS: Structural equations program manual (Version 4.0). Los Angeles: BMDP Statistical Software.

Bentler, P.M. , & Bonett, D. G. (1980). Significance tests and goodness-of-fit in the analysis of covariance structures. Psychological Bulletin, 88, 588-606.

Byrne, B. M. (1986). Self-concept/academic achievement relations: An investigation of dimensionality, stability, and causality. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 18, 173-186.

Byrne, B. M. (1996). Measuring self-concept across the life span. Washington DC: American Psychological Association.

Gribbons, B. C. , & Hocevar, D. (1998). Effects of levels of aggregation on higher-order confirmatory factor analysis models: Appreciation for academic self-concept. Structural Equation Modeling, 5, 377-390.

Hocevar, D. , & El-Zahr, N. (1985). Test anxiety in the USA and Egypt: A paradigm for investigating psychometric characteristics across cultures. Advances in Test Anxiety Research, 4, 203-213.

10.

Hoyle, R. H. , & Panter, A. T. (1995). Writing about structural equation modeling. In R. H. Hoyle (Ed.), Structural equation modeling: Concepts, issues, and applications (pp. 158-176). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

11.

Marsh, H. W. (1990). A multidimensional, hierarchical model of self-concept: Preadolescence to adulthood. Journal of Educational Psychology, 81, 417-430.

12.

Marsh, H. W. (1992). Self Description Questionnaire (SDQ) II: A theoretical and empirical basis for the measurement of multiple dimensions of adolescent self-concept. An interim test manual and research monograph. Macarthur, New South Wales, Australia: University of Western Sydney, Faculty of Education.

13.

Marsh, H. W. (1995). δ2 and χ2 I2 fit indices for structural equation models: A brief note of clarification. Structural Equation Modeling, 2, 246-254.

14.

Michael, W. B. , & Smith, R. A. (1976). The development and preliminary validation of three forms of self-concept measure emphasizing school-related activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 36, 521-528.

15.

Michael, W. B. , Smith, R. A. , & Michael, J. J. (1989). Dimensions of Self-Concept (DOSC): A technical manual (Rev. ed.). San Diego, CA: EDITS.

16.

Paik, C. , & Michael, W. B. (1999). A construct validity investigation of scores on a Japanese version of an academic self-concept scale for secondary school students. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 59, 98-110.

17.

Shavelson, R. J. , Hubner, J. J. , & Stanton, G. C. (1976). Self-concept: Validation of construct interpretation. Review of Educational Research, 46, 407-441.

18.

Villar, I. D. , Michael, W. B. , & Gribbons, B. (1995a). The development and construct validity of a Portuguese version of an academic self-concept scale. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 55, 115-123.

19.

Villar, I. D. , Michael, W. B. , & Gribbons, B. (1995b). Further evidence of the construct validity and reliability of a Portuguese version of an academic self-concept scale. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 55, 1032-1038.

20.

U.S. Department of Commerce . (1993). We the Asian American. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office (Racial Statistics Branch, Population Division, Bureau of the Census).