The High School Competencies Scale (H-Comp Scale): A First Validation Study.

Ernesto Lodi,Diego Boerchi,Paola Magnano

doi:10.3390/ejihpe11020041

Abstract

Researchers widely explored non-intellective study factors because they play a central role in academic performance and are potentially more modifiable than intellective ones. The scientific literature suggests that the non-intellective factors can be classified into three main areas: self-concept, which refers to self-esteem and efficacy, motivation and emotional reactions; the area of study, related to study dedication and operative skills; and the area of relationships, comprising those with family, fellow students and teachers. Basing on these findings, the C-Comp Scale has been developed and tested in the past, addressed to college students. This study aimed to adapt and test a new version of this questionnaire on high school students. Methods. A pilot study was conducted on 364 Italian high school students to adapt and test the new version of the questionnaire, called the H-Comp Scale. The following study, conducted on 792 Italian high school students, provided further evidence of its reliability, structural validity, and concurrent validity with general self-efficacy, academic self-efficacy, social self-efficacy, and academic performance. Results. The H-Comp Scale showed to possess excellent reliability and structural and concurrent validity. The final version is composed of twelve subscales, aggregated in three areas, with just 48 items: Study (Intrinsic Motivation, Extrinsic Motivation, Time Management, Study Dedication), Self (Learning Assessment, General Self-Esteem, Self-Efficacy, Reaction to Failures, Emotional Control), and Relationships (Family Relationships, Fellow Student Relationships, Teacher Relationships). Conclusions. The H-Comp Scale would be a useful and easy-to-use instrument to support school counselors, tutors, teachers, and researchers in exploring different types of non-intellective variables, to better project educational intervention aimed to improve high school students’ academic performance and satisfaction.

Highlights

The factors that affect the quality of performance of students are numerous [3], which is why identifying the most relevant variables in the quality of academic performance is a very complex and challenging job
The current study presents the adaptation of this questionnaire to high school students, given that the literature review suggests the same dimensions as predictors of academic success with this target
The distribution was normal for all the items, with skewness ranging from −0.470 to 0.647 and kurtosis ranging from −0.995 to 0.217

Summary

Introduction

The factors that affect the quality of performance of students are numerous [3], which is why identifying the most relevant variables in the quality of academic performance is a very complex and challenging job. The review of the existent literature previously conducted for the construction of the C-Comp Scale [1] highlighted that the most relevant studies in classifying the non-intellective factors predicting academic performance are by Richardson and colleagues’ [4] and Goodman and colleagues’ [5]. Both publications underlined the complexity of the issue and classified the predictors in (a) personality traits or dimensions, including self-esteem and self-efficacy; (b) motivational factors; (c) selfregulatory abilities; and (d) psychosocial and relational factors. Several studies showed that self-determined behavior is related to many life outcomes and to the quality of life, underlining the importance to support the development of self-determination in different contexts (e.g., educational and work environment) to facilitate the achievement of educational and work goals [7,8]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion