Translation, Validity and Reliability of Multidimensional Self-concept Scale (MSCS) Questionnaire among Malaysian Teenagers

Abstract

This study aims to translate the English edition of Multidimensional Self-Concept Scale (MSCS) questionnaire into Malay language, to validate it and to make it reliable. The MSCS constructed by Bracken (1992) to evaluate self-concept in accordance to Multidimensional Self-Concept Model (MSCM). MSCS consists of 150 items (74 positive items, 76 negative items) which assess the 6 subscales of self-concept; social self-concept, ability self-concept, affective self-concept, family self-concept, physical self-concept and academic self-concept. The process of translation into Malay language using the back translation method was suggested by Brislin, Lonner and Thondike (1973). The items in MSCS are translated according to local values and culture by 3 Malay language panels and 3 English language panels. For the face validity evaluation, 8 secondary school students and 3 Malay language experts involve in the betterment of language, sentence structures and comprehension of terms in MSCS. Subsequently, MSCS is evaluated by 7 expert panels for the validity of its contents. Next, reliability analysis is conducted to 214 students in 2 secondary schools in Selangor, Malaysia. The result shows that the value of contents validity by expert panels has high coefficient value which is = 0.822 with minimum and maximum values of over 0.60. Family self-concept sub-scale has the lowest coefficient value which is 0.668 while social self-concept sub-scale has the highest coefficient value (0.964). For the overall analysis of reliability is alpha = 0.964 with the values of each sub-scale are; social = 0.971, ability = 0.963, affective = 0.964, family = 0.974, physical = 0.974 and academic = 0.965. Hence, this study has succeeded to convert the MSCS that has high validity and reliability values and applicable for Malaysian teenagers.