Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T10:37:48.410Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Self-concept test generalisability: Self-description questionnaire- I and the perception of ability scale for students

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 October 2015

Ian Hay*
Affiliation:
Griffith University
Adrian F. Ashman
Affiliation:
University of Queensland
Christina E. van Kraayenoord
Affiliation:
University of Queensland
*
Faculty of Education, Griffith University, Nathan Brisbane Qld 4111, Phone: (07) 3875 5645, Fax: (07) 3875 5910, E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The validity of standardised ossessment instruments and their normative data is a significant issue in school psychology. Consequently, this study of 515 coeducational Queensland Year 5 students investigated the generalisability and robustness of the norms of two contemporary self-concept instruments, the Self-Description Questionnaire-I (SDQ-I; Marsh, 1988) and the Perception of Ability Scale for Students (PASS; Boersma & Chapman, 1992). Both tests have received praise for their theoretical construct but have been criticised for the regionalisation of their norming populations.The results of this study demonstrated that the Queensland students had higher mean PASS self-concept scores than the North American students used in the norming of all the PASS scales. For the SDQ- I, a similar distribution pattern was shown for Queensland students and SDQ-I norming sample, with the exception of small variability with Reading and Mothematics self-concepts scales. Issues associated with interpreting and reporting of assessment results and with the assessment responsibilities of educational psychologists and counsellors are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Australian Psychological Society 1998

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Baumeister, R.F. (1990). Self-esteem, self-handicapping, and self-presentation: The strategy ofinadequate practice. Journal of Personality, 58, 443464.Google Scholar
Beane, J.A., & Lipka, R.P. (1986). Self-concept, self-esteem, and the curriculum. New York: Teacher’s College Press.Google Scholar
Bentler, P.M. (1972). Review of the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale. In Buros, O.K. (Ed.), The seventh mental measurement yearbook (pp. 366367). Highland Park, NJ: Gryphon Press.Google Scholar
Bloom, B.S. (1976). Human characteristics and school learning. New York: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar
Boersma, F.J., & Chapman, J.W. (1992). Perception of Ability Scale for Students Manual. Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.Google Scholar
Boyle, G.J. (1994). Self-Description Questionnaire II: A review. Test Critiques, 10, 632643.Google Scholar
Bracken, B.A. (1992). Multidimensional Self-Concept Scale. Austin, TX: PRO-ED, Inc.Google Scholar
Byrne, B.M. (1988). Measuring adolescent self-concept: Factorial validity and equivalence of the SDQIII across gender. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 23, 361375.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Byrne, B.M. (1996). Academic self-concept: Its structure, measurement, and relation to academic achievement. In Bracken, B.A. (Ed.), Handbook of self-concept (pp. 287316). New York: WileyGoogle Scholar
Campbell, J.D. (1990). Self-esteem and clarity of the self-concept. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 538549.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Coopersmith, S. (1967). The antecedents of self-esteem. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman.Google Scholar
Craven, R.G., Marsh, H.W., & Debus, R.L. (1991) Effects of internally focused feedback and attributional feedback on enhancement of academic self-concept. Journal of Educational Psychology, 83, 1727.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Daniel, A. (1983). Power, privilege, and prestige: Occupations in Australia. Melbourne: Longman Cheshire.Google Scholar
Delugach, R.R., Bracken, B.C., Bracken, M.J., & Schicke, M.C. (1992). Self-concept: Multidimensional construct explored. Psychology in the Schools, 29, 213223.3.0.CO;2-E>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dowd, E.T. (1992). Review of the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale: Revised. In Kramer, J.J. & Conoley, J.C. (Eds.), The eleventh mental measurements yearbook. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska.Google Scholar
Fitts, W.H. (1965). Tennessee Self-Concept Scale. Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.Google Scholar
Gay, L.R. (1996). Educational research: Competencies for analysis and application (5th ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Merrill.Google Scholar
Harter, S. (1985). The Self-Perception Profile for Children: Revision of the Perceived Competence Scale for Children Manual. Denver, CO: University of Denver.Google Scholar
Hattie, J.A. (1992). Self-concept. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Hattie, J. & Marsh, H.W. (1996). Future directions in self-concept research. In Bracken, B.A. (Ed.), Handbook of self-concept: Developmental, social, and clinical considerations (pp. 421462). New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Hay, I. (1992). The role of self-complexity, self-verification, and self-handicapping in understanding adolescents with high emotional needs. The Australian Educational and Developmental Psychologist, 9, 5864.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hay, I. (1994). The formation of self-perception and the interactions between academic self-perception and academic achievement of primary school students. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The University of Queensland.Google Scholar
Hay, I., Ashman, A.F., & van Kraayenoord, C. (1994). Children’s self-perception and thinking: How are they related? In Edwards, J. (Ed.), Thinking: International interdisciplinary perspectives (pp. 259268) Cheltenham, Victoria: Hawker Brownlow Education.Google Scholar
Hay, I., Ashman, A.F., & van Kraayenoord, C. (1997). Investigating the influence of achievement on self-concept using an intra-class design and a comparison of the PASS and SDQ-1 self-concept tests. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 67, 311321.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hay, I., Ashman, A.F., & van Kraayenoord, C. (in press-a). The influence of gender, academic achievement and non-school factors upon préadolescent self-concept. Educational Psychology.Google Scholar
Hay, I., Ashman, A.F., & van Kraayenoord, C. (in press-b). Characteristics of students with high or low self-concept. Psychology in the Schools.Google Scholar
Hay, I., Gilmore, S., & Lockhart, J. (1992). Alienated, disaffected, or disturbed high school adolescents. In Elkins, J. & Izard, J. (Eds.), Student behaviour problems: Content, initiatives, programs (pp. 195201). Melbourne: Australian Council for Educational Research.Google Scholar
Keith, L.K., & Bracken, B.A. (1996). Self-concept instrumentation: A historical and evaluative review. In Bracken, B.A. (Ed.), Handbook of self-concept (pp. 91170). New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Lockhart, J., & Hay, I. (1995). Enhancing the self-concept for at-risk adolescent girls using reflective thinking and a challenge-based program. Journal of Cognitive Education, 5, 5570.Google Scholar
Markus, H.J., & Sentis, K. (1982). The self in social information processing. In Suis, J. (Ed.), Psychological perspectives on the self (Vol. 1, pp. 5479). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Marsh, H.W. (1988). Self-Description Questionnaire-1 SDQ-1: Manual and research monograph. San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation.Google Scholar
Marsh, H.W. (1992). Content specificity of relations between academic achievement and academic self-concept. Journal of Educational Psychology, 84, 3542.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marsh, H.W., & Richards, G. (1988). The Outward Bound bridging course for low-achieving high school males: Effect on academic achievement and multidimensional self-concepts. Australian Journal of Psychology, 40, 281298.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marsh, H.W., Richards, G., & Barnes, J. (1986). Multidimensional self-concepts: A long-term follow-up of the effect of participation in an Outward Bound program. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 12, 475492.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCombs, B.L., & Marzano, R.J. (1990). Putting the self in self-regulated learning: The self as agent in the integrating will and skill. Educational Psychologist, 25, 5169.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McLoughlin, J.A., & Lewis, R.B. (1986). Assessing special students (2nd ed). Columbus, OH: Merrill.Google Scholar
Mossenson, L., Hill, P., & Masters, G. (1987). Tests of Reading Comprehension (TORCH). Melbourne: Australian Council for Educational Research.Google Scholar
Osborne, R.E. (1996). Self : An eclectic approach. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.Google Scholar
Piers, E., & Harris, D. (1969). The Piers-Harris Children’s Self-Concept Scale. Nashville, TN: Counselor Recordings & Tests.Google Scholar
Shavelson, R.J., Hubner, J.J., & Stanton, G.C. (1976). Self-concept: Validation of construct interpretations. Review of Educational Research, 46, 407441.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Solley, B.A. (1992). Affective variables as related to writing education. Educational Research Quarterly, 15, 2131.Google Scholar
Swann, W.B. (1996). Self-traps: The elusive quest for higher self-esteem. NewYork: Freeman & Co.Google Scholar
Tabachnick, B.G., & Fidell, L.S. (1989). Using multivariate statistics (2nd ed.). New York: Harper Collins.Google Scholar
Taylor, R.L. (1997) Assessment of exceptional students: Educational and psychological procedures (4th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.Google Scholar
Weiner, B. (1986). An attributional theory of motivation and emotion. NewYork: Springer-Verlag.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wong, M.M., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1991). Motivation and academic achievement: The effects of personality traits and the quality of experience. Journal of Personality, 59, 539574.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wylie, R.C. (1989). Measures of self-concepts. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.Google Scholar