ERIC Number: EJ857063
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1521-0960
EISSN: N/A
The Development and Validation of the Multicultural Dispositions Index
Thompson, Franklin
Multicultural Perspectives, v11 n2 p94-100 2009
The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the Multicultural Dispositions Index (MDI), which measures diversity awareness levels of educators. Evidence of the instrument's face validity was gained through a three-year pilot study of 477 teacher and counselor candidates at a Midwestern metropolitan university, followed up by a five-year principal study of 1,092 students from the same institution. The result is a 22-item, 4-subscale assessment tool that passed statistical tests for construct validity and inter-rater reliability. Respondent ratings of the MDI (M = 7.52, SD = 1.73) (t(1060) = 64.62, p less than 0.0005, d = 1.47) and the practice of adopting dispositional self-assessment as a program completion requirement (M = 7.22, SD = 1.36) (t(1038) = 47.42, p less than 0.0005, d = 1.98) were significantly greater than the median score of 5. The MDI can be used to assess changes in multicultural perceptions over the span of a semester or across a program of professional preparation to help candidates determine if teaching and counseling are appropriate professional matches. (Contains 3 tables.)
Descriptors: Personality Measures, Test Construction, Test Validity, Construct Validity, Test Reliability, Social Attitudes, Cultural Pluralism, Cultural Awareness, Preservice Teachers, Pretests Posttests, Teacher Effectiveness, Counselor Training, College Students
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A