The Factor Structure and Internal Consistency of the Self-Concept and Motivation Inventory: What Face would you Wear? Preschool/Kindergarten Form

Abstract

The Self-Concept and Motivation Inventory: What Face Would You Wear? Preschool/Kindergarten Form has the potential to be of use in measuring the academic self-concept of preschoolers. This study sought to determine if the theoretical, three-factor structure of the SCAMIN could be recovered in a state-wide sample of kindergarten students. In 1986, 5742 kindergarteners from Tennessee schools participating in the Reduced Pupil/Teacher Ratio Project were given the Preschool/Kindergarten form of the SCAMIN. The sample was drawn from 42 school districts in all geographic regions of Tennessee and represented a mix of inner-city, urban, rural, and suburban schools. The intercorrelation matrix of the 24 SCAMIN items was analyzed by the principal components method and extracted factors were rotated to a varimax solution. An initial analysis suggested the presence of an atheoretical factor, and two items which appeared to be unrelated to any obtained factor. Subsequent refactoring of the SCAMIN resulted in the successful recovery of the expected three factor structure. Cronbach's alpha, for the scales Academic Self-Concept; Achievement Investment; and Achievement Needs were .666, .599, and .598, respectively. The results of this factor analysis of the Early Preschool/Kindergarten Form of the SCAMIN suggest both strengths and weaknesses in the factorial composition of the 24 SCAMIN items. Users of the SCAMIN are cautioned against a naive application of this instrument's scales.

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