ERIC Number: EJ1119652
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Dec
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0033-3085
EISSN: N/A
Academic Self-Efficacy among Junior High School Students in Ghana: Evaluating Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance across Gender
Ansong, David; Eisensmith, Sarah R.; Masa, Rainier D.; Chowa, Gina A.
Psychology in the Schools, v53 n10 p1057-1070 Dec 2016
Self-efficacy is a universal construct, but few validated measures exist for researchers in developing countries to use in assessing youths' perceptions of their ability to achieve academic success. This study examined the cross-cultural suitability and psychometric properties of an academic self-efficacy scale (ASES) adapted for the Ghanaian context. ASES construct validity was assessed with a sample of 4,289 Ghanaian junior high-school students and exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Invariance testing assessed the scale's measurement equivalence by gender and temporal stability of gender equivalence. The ASES is a valid, reliable one-dimensional scale for assessing young Ghanaians' perceptions of their academic capabilities, and it works equally well across genders. As adapted, ASES is a valid scale with utility for researchers examining predictors and effects of academic self-efficacy. The ASES has important implications for decisions regarding investment in programs aimed at improving academic self-efficacy of youth, both in sub-Saharan Africa and the increasingly diverse American public schools.
Descriptors: Academic Ability, Academic Achievement, Self Concept, Foreign Countries, Junior High School Students, Psychometrics, Cross Cultural Studies, Self Concept Measures, Validity, Reliability, Gender Differences, Self Efficacy, Predictor Variables, Student Attitudes, Factor Analysis
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Junior High Schools; Secondary Education; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Ghana
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A