Psychometric Evaluation of the School Climate and School Identification Measure-Student on Chilean Students: A Bifactor Model Approach.

School climate is a relevant construct for understanding social relations at school. The SCASIM-St has been widely defined as a multidimensional construct; however, new factor structures have not been explored through evidence that allows for interpreting school climate scores from an approach that respects the multidimensionality of the scale and, at the same time, allows for identifying the degree of essential unidimensionality in the data. Consequently, the objective was to analyze the psychometric properties of the SCASIM-St from a bifactor model approach, evaluating the influence of a general school climate factor versus five specific factors. The study involved 1860 students of both sexes (42% males and 58% females), with an average age of 16.63 years (SD = 0.664), from 17 secondary schools in Chile. The results obtained by a confirmatory factor analysis provided evidence that the best model was the bifactor model for the 38 items, with one general factor and five specific factors. The Explained Common Variance (ECV) values and reliability levels by hierarchical omega accounted for a strong general school climate factor with high levels of reliability. Evidence of external criterion validity, assessed through the attitude toward authority scale (AIA-A), showed a theoretically expected and significant relationship between the factors of both instruments. This study confirmed the psychometric robustness of the SCASIM-St scale by means of a bifactor model, allowing for a new, essentially unidimensional interpretation of the scale scores and providing an instrument to measure school climate in Chile.

Relationships between School Climate and Values: The Mediating Role of Attitudes towards Authority in Adolescents.

School climate is related to a wide variety of positive results at the school level; however, its relationship with the construct of values has received little attention, despite being a key variable in the development of personality. This study aimed to examine the direct and indirect relationships between school climate, attitudes towards authority, and values. The participants in this study were 2683 students (51.2% men and 48.8% women) from 32 schools aged between 12 and 20 years (M = 15.78 years, SD = 1.35). Two models of structural equations were estimated, and the model that best fit the data confirmed that school climate was indirectly related to values through attitudes towards authority. The reciprocal and interactive relationships between school climate, attitudes towards authority, and values are also discussed.

Reliability Estimation in Multidimensional Scales: Comparing the Bias of Six Estimators in Measures With a Bifactor Structure.

In the context of multidimensional structures, with the presence of a common factor and multiple specific or group factors, estimates of reliability require specific estimators. The use of classical procedures such as the alpha coefficient or omega total that ignore structural complexity are not appropriate, since they can lead to strongly biased estimates. Through a simulation study, the bias of six estimators of reliability in multidimensional measures was evaluated and compared. The study is complemented by an empirical illustration that exemplifies the procedure. Results showed that the estimators with the lowest bias in the estimation of the total reliability parameter are omega total, the two versions of greatest lower bound (GLB) and the alpha coefficient, which in turn are also those that produce the highest overestimation of the reliability of the general factor. Nevertheless, the most appropriate estimators, in that they produce less biased estimates of the reliability parameter of the general factor, are omega limit and omega hierarchical.

Adaptation and Validation of the Authoritative School Climate Survey in a Sample of Chilean Adolescents.

Authoritative school climate is a relevant and novel construct that improves the academic performance and social-emotional development of students. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of reliability and validity of the Authoritative School Climate Survey (ASCS) in a sample of Chilean adolescents. A cross-sectional study was carried out, in which 808 students from 12 schools in Chile participated (55.1% men and 44.9% women), with a mean age of 15.94 (SD = 1.32). The results obtained through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyzes ratified the hypothesized structure of two correlated factors. As expected, evidence of criterion validity showed significant relationships between the measures of authoritative school climate and attitude toward institutional authority. This study provides evidence regarding the psychometric quality of the scale to assess authoritative school climate, allowing its use in the Chilean context.

Adaptation and Validation of the School Climate and School Identification Measure-Student Scale (SCASIM-St) in a Sample of Chilean Adolescents.

The school climate construct has been linked to a series of positive outcomes in adolescence; however, the few validated instruments in Spanish have a fragile theoretical base. Consequently, the aim of this study was to adapt and validate the dual School Climate and School Identification Measure-Student (SCASIM-St) scale in a sample of Chilean adolescents. First, a linguistic adaptation of the instrument was completed, followed by a cross-sectional study; 1,456 students of both sexes participated in the study (41.1% boys and 58.9% girls), with an average age of 15.76 years (SD = 1.42), representing 17 secondary schools in Chile. Three confirmatory factor models were contrasted, the one with the best fit supported the originally proposed structure. The evidence of external criterion validity, confirmed through the Authoritative School Climate Survey (ASCS), showed a significant positive relationship between the two measures. This study verified the psychometric quality for the SCASIM-St scale, allowing for its use in the Chilean context. This instrument provides a measurement tool with a solid theoretical base that can be used in the Chilean context.

Psychometric Study of the Scale for the Assessment of Developmental Assets in the Neighborhood in a Sample of Chilean Adolescents.

The Scale for the Assessment of Developmental Assets in the Neighborhood (SADAN) has shown acceptable psychometric properties for use in Spain and Chile. However, the original factor structure of five correlated factors and a second-order factor is not yet entirely clear. This study aimed to evaluate the scale's psychometric properties of reliability and validity in a sample of Chilean adolescents. A cross-sectional design was used, with a sample of 2638 students (female = 49.1%) with an average age of 15.79 years (SD = 1.35). The results obtained when evaluating different confirmatory factor models show that the best structure is that of five correlated factors. We carry out a multigroup factor analysis up to the level of scalar invariance. We applied this analysis to the following groups: sex, type of school, and age. We conclude that the original version of the scale can be used in the Chilean context with slight modifications as it is necessary to deepen the validity evidence with external criteria.

Propiedades Psicométricas de la Versión Reducida de la Escala de Valores para el Desarrollo Positivo Adolescente (EVDPA-R) en Estudiantes Chilenos / Psychometric Properties of the Reduced Version of the Positive Adolescent Development Value Scale (EVDPA-R) in Chilean Students / Propriedades Psicométricas da Versão Reduzida da Escala de Valores para o Desenvolvimento Positivo Adolescente (EVDPA-R) em Estudantes Chilenos

Resumen Esta investigación tuvo por objetivo analizar las propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Valores para el Desarrollo Positivo Adolescente (EVDPA) en estudiantes chilenos. Se estudió una muestra de 2250 estudiantes adolescentes de ambos sexos, de edades comprendidas entre los 12 y 21 años, pertenecientes a 25 establecimientos de enseñanza secundaria de Chile. Se utilizó un procedimiento robusto de análisis mediante el método de validación cruzada. Los resultados del análisis factorial exploratorio y confirmatorio, permitieron obtener una estructura factorial reducida de tres factores latentes: valores sociales, valores personales y valores individualistas. Las evidencias de fiabilidad por consistencia interna presentaron resultados favorables. Se concluye que el EVDPA, a pesar de la disminución significativa de ítems y dimensiones de primer orden, entrega evidencia suficiente para su uso en población de estudiantes adolescentes chilenos.

Abstract The objective of this research was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Positive Adolescent Development Value Scale (EVDPA, according to its acronym in Spanish) in Chilean students. The sample for the study was made up of 2250 adolescent male and female students between the ages of 12 and 21, from 25 secondary schools in Chile. A robust analysis procedure based on the cross-validation method was used. The results of the exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis made it possible to obtain a reduced factorial structure with three latent factors: social values, personal values, and individualistic values. Evidence of reliability due to internal coherence was favorable. The conclusion is that despite the significant reduction of items and first-order dimensions, the EVDPA delivers sufficient evidence and can be used in the population of Chilean adolescent students.

Resumo Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo analisar as propriedades psicométricas da Escala de Valores para o Desenvolvimento Positivo Adolescente (EVDPA) em estudantes chilenos. Estudou-se uma amostra de 2250 estudantes adolescentes de ambos os sexos, de idades compreendidas entre 12 e 21 anos, pertencentes a 25 estabelecimentos de ensino secundário do Chile. Utilizou-se um procedimento robusto de análise por meio do método de validação cruzada. Os resultados da análise fatorial exploratória e confirmatória permitiram obter uma estrutura fatorial reduzida de três fatores latentes: valores sociais, valores pessoais e valores individualistas. As evidências de fiabilidade por consistência interna apresentaram resultados favoráveis. Conclui-se que a EVDPA, apesar da diminuição significativa de itens e dimensões de primeira ordem, entrega evidência suficiente para seu uso em população de estudantes adolescentes chilenos.

Invarianza factorial del Cuestionario para Evaluar Clima Social del Centro Escolar en estudiantes chilenos y colombianos / Factorial invariance of the Questionnaire for evaluating School Social Climate in Chilean and Colombian students

Resumen La investigación tuvo como objetivo estudiar el grado de equivalencia psicométrica del Cuestionario para Evaluar Clima Social del Centro Escolar (CECSCE) en adolescentes chilenos y colombianos. Los participantes fueron seleccionados a partir de un muestreo no probabilístico intencionado en 11 establecimientos públicos y particulares subvencionados de Chile y Colombia. Participaron 1233 adolescentes de ambos sexos, con una edad promedio de 14.82 (DT = 1.83). Los resultados obtenidos a partir de los análisis factoriales confirmatorios ratificaron la estructura de 2 factores correlacionados en la muestra chilena con el índice chi-cuadrado de Satorra Bentler(76) = 175.664, p < .001; índice de ajuste comparativo = .956; índice de Tucker-Lewis = .948; error cuadrático medio de aproximación = .044 (IC90% = .035-.052) y en la muestra colombiana con el índice chi-cuadrado de Satorra Bentler (76) = 131.508, p < .001; índice de ajuste comparativo = .942; índice de Tucker-Lewis = .931; error cuadrático medio de aproximación = .037 (IC90% = .026-.047). El análisis de invarianza factorial evidenció que el grado de equivalencia transcultural del instrumento se presenta plausible a nivel de invarianza de configuración (M1 = _ índice chi-cuadrado de Satorra Bentler = 35.583; ∆gl = 12; p < .001; _índice de ajuste comparativo = .007). La escala presentó adecuados índices de fiabilidad por consistencia interna y homogeneidad.

Abstract This study aims to determine the degree of psychometric equivalence of the questionnaire for evaluating School Social Climate in Chilean and Colombian adolescents. Using an intentional non-probability sampling, the adolescents were selected from 11 public schools and subsidised private schools in Chile and Colombia. The study involved 1,233 adolescents of both sexes, with a mean age of 14.82 years (SD = 1.83). The results from confirmatory factor analysis ratified the correlated two-factor structure in the Chilean sample Satorra Bentler's chi-square(76) = 175.664, P < .001; comparative fit index = .956; Tucker-Lewis index = .948; root mean square error of approximation = .044 (90% CI = .035-.052), and in the Colombian sample Satorra Bentler's chi-square(76) = 131.508, P < .001; comparative fit index = .942; Tucker-Lewis index = .931; root mean square error of approximation = .037 (90% CI = .026-.047). Invariance factorial analysis showed that the cross cultural level of the instrument is plausible at invariance configuration level (M1 = _Satorra Bentler's chi-square = 35.583;∆gl = 12; P < .001; _comparative fit index = .007). The resulting scale depicted adequate indices of reliability for internal consistency and homogeneity.

Best Alternatives to Cronbach's Alpha Reliability in Realistic Conditions: Congeneric and Asymmetrical Measurements.

The Cronbach's alpha is the most widely used method for estimating internal consistency reliability. This procedure has proved very resistant to the passage of time, even if its limitations are well documented and although there are better options as omega coefficient or the different versions of glb, with obvious advantages especially for applied research in which the ítems differ in quality or have skewed distributions. In this paper, using Monte Carlo simulation, the performance of these reliability coefficients under a one-dimensional model is evaluated in terms of skewness and no tau-equivalence. The results show that omega coefficient is always better choice than alpha and in the presence of skew items is preferable to use omega and glb coefficients even in small samples.