Development and Validation of a Scale to Measure Research Self-Efficacy in Graduate Students
Location
Measurement and Assessment (Session 1 Breakouts)
Proposal Track
Research Project
Session Format
Presentation
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a short instrument focusing on research self-efficacy, to be used across disciplines for all graduate students. Using exploratory factor analysis, we provide evidence of the construct validity of the scale, and also describe its internal consistency and predictive validity. Participants were 162 graduate students (15% response rate) at a midsize university in Georgia who were or had been enrolled in graduate courses during the past academic year. Participants responded to the 12 items on the Graduate Student Research Self Efficacy Scale (GRSES) and 8 items of an outcomes expectations (OE) scale. Results suggest that a two factor-model was appropriate. The first factor (41% of the variance) was related to application or implementation of research. The second factor (9% of the variance) was related to acquisition of knowledge in research, early stages or conceptualization of research. The scale showed strong reliability (α = 0.886), and good predictive validity for outcomes expectations of research (r = .423). The overall reliability and predictive validity of the scale are sufficient to recommend the GRSES for future use. Recommendations for item modification or deletion, based on factor analysis results are discussed.
Keywords
research self-efficacy, graduate students, scale development
Professional Bio
Eli A. Jones received is MPA and Ph.D. from Brigham Young University. He is Assistant Professor of Research at Columbus State University. His published works are related to measurement and evaluation in P-12 education settings. His research focuses on rater-mediated assessment and other forms of performance assessment in education settings such as teacher evaluation and principal leadership. His research interests also encompass the psychometric evaluation of measurement instruments used in assessment. He has published in numerous educational journals, and has presented at regional, national, and international educational conferences.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Jones, Eli A.; Atkinson, Rebekah A.; Brown, Kimberly J.; Dickey, Iwanda J.; Majzoub-Weaver, Oula; Kelley, Kelli L.; and Sample, Gina, "Development and Validation of a Scale to Measure Research Self-Efficacy in Graduate Students" (2020). Georgia Educational Research Association Conference. 13.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gera/2020/2020/13
Development and Validation of a Scale to Measure Research Self-Efficacy in Graduate Students
Measurement and Assessment (Session 1 Breakouts)
The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a short instrument focusing on research self-efficacy, to be used across disciplines for all graduate students. Using exploratory factor analysis, we provide evidence of the construct validity of the scale, and also describe its internal consistency and predictive validity. Participants were 162 graduate students (15% response rate) at a midsize university in Georgia who were or had been enrolled in graduate courses during the past academic year. Participants responded to the 12 items on the Graduate Student Research Self Efficacy Scale (GRSES) and 8 items of an outcomes expectations (OE) scale. Results suggest that a two factor-model was appropriate. The first factor (41% of the variance) was related to application or implementation of research. The second factor (9% of the variance) was related to acquisition of knowledge in research, early stages or conceptualization of research. The scale showed strong reliability (α = 0.886), and good predictive validity for outcomes expectations of research (r = .423). The overall reliability and predictive validity of the scale are sufficient to recommend the GRSES for future use. Recommendations for item modification or deletion, based on factor analysis results are discussed.
