فصلنامه اندازه گیری تربیتی
پیاپی 15 (بهار 1393)

The present research aims to study the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Successful Intelligence Scale. Using the multi-stage cluster sampling method, 500 (including 175 female and 325 male) subjects were selected from among public school students in Karaj. The exploratory factor analysis was performed using the principal component method. The results confirmed three factors of successful intelligence (i.e. analytical, creative, and practical intelligence) as well as the principal factor. Reliability of the scale items was examined using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, and its validity was investigated using factor analysis. Internal consistency of the questionnaire was acceptable, and the Cronbach’s alpha for the subscales was between 0.74 and 0.81. Also, the confirmatory factor analysis results confirmed that the structure of the scale had an acceptable fit to the data, and that the goodness-of-fit index for the model was observed. The results of confirmatory factor analysis were almost close to that of studies done in the original cultural context. Validity and reliability of the scale were also close to that of previous researches. Considering the desirable psychometric property, therefore, this scale is an appropriate instrument for measuring the students’ successful intelligence.

The issue of achievement or non-achievement in the realm of education is an important concern in education systems of all societies. Students and university students’ education achievement is indicative of the extent that the education system has been in setting the goals and satisfying individual demands. Education resilience is an individual variable influencing education achievement. The present research aims to study the factor reliability and validity of the academic resilience inventory, constructed by Samuels (2004). Two sample populations were involved in this study. The first sample included 300 male and female subjects randomly selected from among public high school students in the city of Boukan, Iran. The second one included 319 male and female subjects who were selected from among Allameh Tabataba’i University students, using cluster sampling method. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was used to examine reliability of the questionnaire, and exploratory factor analysis, including principal component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, was performed to confirm factor validity. The evaluation of the first analysis scree plot was indicative of a three-factor solution. Then, to obtain the three-factor structure, the principal component analysis was performed through the varimax rotation. 11 questions were eliminated because they had a factorial load below 0.3, or had significant value or equal load on more than one factor. Finally, the analysis was performed on the remaining 29 questions. These three factors were named according to their comprising content with the following names: communication skills, future orientation, problem-oriented approach, and optimistic orientation. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the subscales ranged from 0.63 to 0.77 in the high school students sample and ranged from 0.62 to 0.76 in the university students sample. This shows that reliability of the three-factor model is at an acceptable level.

Executive skills are high-level cognitive skills helping children with their daily activities and learning assignments. The present paper aims to study the validity and reliability of the Executive Skills Scale for pre-school children. The study was a descriptive research. Using cluster sampling method, 250 subjects (including 150 female and 100 male subjects) were selected from among pre-school children in Isfahan, and their mothers responded to the Executive Skills Scale items. The validity of the scale was evaluated with content validity, item analysis (item–total correlations), and factor analysis. The reliability of the mentioned questionnaire was studied through Cronbach’s alpha and split–half reliability. The results showed that item-total correlation coefficients were significant in all cases, varying from 0.21 to 0.81. (P=0.0001). Moreover, using Cronbach’s alpha, the reliability of the whole scale was calculated as 0.75. Also, the split-half reliability was computed to be 0.80. The results indicated that the Executive Skills Scale is of acceptable psychometric properties to be used for the Iranian pre-school children.

‘E-portfolio’ is a collection of digital and electronic documents showing the students’ progress and academic achievement in a course or lesson. The present research aims to study the effect of using e-portfolios on self-regulation learning strategies adopted by the students. The research method was that of quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest control group design. The statistical population included all the students of the Faculty of Education and Psychology of Allameh Tabataba’i University in the second semester of 2012-2013. Using convenience sampling method, 2 MA classes were selected as the sample population. Each class included 18 students randomly divided to experimental and control groups. The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire by Pintrich and De Groot (MSLQ) (1990) was used to measure the subjects’ self-regulated learning strategies. At the beginning of the semester, both groups were taken a pretest in the same circumstance. Then, the experimental group was exposed to the independent variable for one semester. At the end of the semester, a posttest was applied on both groups to examine the changes. An analysis of covariance was used to analyze the collected data. The results showed that the self-regulation learning strategies of the experimental group had increased significantly compared to that of the control group. Therefore, it can be concluded that an e-portfolio is an instrument for teaching, learning, and assessment by which learners become motivated to have more activity and, consequently, reach more achievements in learning and acquiring the related skills.

Numerous studies use the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) method to reduce the data. Determination of the true number of retainable factors is the most crucial problem confronting researchers when using EFA. Common methods usually under/overestimate the number of factors. The present research aims to evaluate the common methods of determining the number of retainable factors and also introduce Parallel analysis (PA), as one of the most accurate methods of doing so. The Parallel Analysis methodwas illustrated step by step using authentic examples with Syntax programming in SPSS. The results showed that Parallel Analysis was an accurate method of determining the number of factors; however, its application is limited. Despite being accurate, PA is not well-known to researchers; in part, because it is not included as an analysis option in most popular statistical packages. Therefore, this paper elaborated on how to apply PA. The authors hope this effective method will be applied more in the future.

‘Differentiation of self’ is an important factor for a person to cope with stressors and improve mental health. Therefore, it is necessary to provide appropriate instruments to assess this construct. The present research aims to study the psychometric properties of the Differentiation of Self Inventory - Short Form as an appropriate instrument for assessing differentiation of self in the Iranian society. After translation and adaptation of the questionnaire, 384 undergraduate students at Shiraz University who were selected using random multi-stage sampling method, responded to it. The instruments used in this study consisted of Differentiation of Self Inventory-Short Form (DSI-SF) and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). The results of factor analysis showed that the structure of this questionnaire clearly referred to the four factors of differentiation including fusion with others, emotional cut-off, emotional reactivity, and I-position. Face validity was confirmed by experts, and correlation coefficient of each component with the total score was significant. Moreover, the significant negative correlation between DSI-SF scores and somatic symptoms, anxiety/insomnia, social dysfunction, and depression scores was indicative of concurrent criterion validity. For the validity of scale, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was desirable. The results of showed that the validity and reliability of DSI-SH is qualified for assessing the differentiation of self, and that it can be used as a useful instrument for assessing the differentiation of self in the Iranian society.The role ofculture was also discussed in this study.

‘Mobile phone addiction’ is considered as a compulsive and addictive disorder in the 21st century, and excessive usage of mobile phone can lead to addiction. The present research aims to study construction and psychometric properties of the Mobile Phone Addiction Questionnaire Using the multi-stage random sampling method, 200 subjects (including100 males and 100 females) were selected from among the 3rd-grade high school students in District 1 of Ahwaz city. The results of the factor analysis showed that the Mobile Phone Addiction Questionnaire consisted of 13 questions as well as the three subscales of creativity loss, tendency, and loneliness, and that its reliability and validity enjoy a good fitness. Confirmatory factor structure also confirmed the suggested three-factor model of the Questionnaire.The mentioned questionnaire can be used for diagnosis of mobile phone addiction and performing the related studies.

Reliability and validity are important issues in test construction. System approach is a concept with various functions that considers interaction of employed people in different parts of a system. The present research aims to study the construct, normalization and validation of the system approach scale in educational planning. It was adescriptive survey research. Using multi-stage cluster sampling method, 483 subjects were selected from among all the principals and teachers in west Mazandaran's high schools and secondary schools. The subjects responded to the researcher-made system approach questionnaire. Using Cronbach's alpha, reliability of the test was computed as 0.981. Factor analysis of system approach items indicated that they explain more than 61.328% of the intended variance. After one varimax rotation, the desirable consistency between items and factors were determined. Then, five factors (including strategic attitude, strategic management, focusing on work environment, realities and objectives, paying attention to requirements, complexities and tasks, and knowledge and information management) were extracted and labeled as the components of system approach to educational planning. Considering the desirable psychometric properties, this questionnaire can be used to measure the system approach adopted by the employees of educational centers, such as the Ministry of Education, and universities. Consequently, it helps to prepare the ground for improving the educational programs and increase productivity of educational systems.

Validity of the multilevel analyses with a focus on differences in learning theories (with both classis approach toward measurement and new approach toward measurement (IRT)) by means of various data has recently been studied. This study is aimed at determining the level of impact of schools on the scores gained by students involved in advanced TIMSS’s 2008 test. In order to achieve the chief goal of the study, the researchers adopted the data relating to administration of advanced TIMSS’s 2008 physics test, which assesses the course of teaching advanced physics to the high school seniors (pre-university students). The population and sample group of this study comprise the pre-university candidates of mathematics and physics taking advanced TIMSS physics test administered in the academic year 2007-2008. The sample size of Iranian students involved in this measurement equaled 2556 subjects. Results of the analyses generally suggest that firstly multilevel IRT (MLIRT) analyses are more powerful than multilevel true scores (MLTS) analyses in clarifying school differences. Secondly, the level of difference in the schools involved in advanced TIMSS math test reflected in intraclass correlation (ICC) is high in MLIRT analyses. Discussion and First, considering measurement error of each item in analyses within Bayesian framework and by means of Gibbs sampling can remarkably improve the power of multilevel analyses and lead to a significant rise in the ratio of the explicated variance. Second, there is too much educational difference and discrimination among schools which is largely due to school-level variables (such as those relating to teacher or school-related variables).