Validation of the Academic Self-Concept Scale in the Spanish University Context

Antonio Granero-Gallegos,Antonio Baena-Extremera,Raúl Baños,Juan Carlos Escaravajal

doi:10.3390/educsci11100653

Abstract

The aims of this study were: (i) to provide evidence of reliability and validity regarding the dimensionality of the Spanish version of two correlated subscales measuring Academic Self-Concept (ASC); (ii) to analyze factorial invariance according to sex and the educational level; (iii) to analyze a higher-order model from the two ASC subscales; and (iv) to study the predictive relationship of the ASC to academic engagement. An observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study was designed in which 681 undergraduate university students (Mage = 24.55; SDage = 5.35) (58% girls) and students of the Master’s in Teacher Education participated. The scale’s psychometric properties were analyzed using different exploratory and confirmatory analyses demonstrating that this instrument with two correlated factors (academic confidence and academic effort) is valid, reliable, and invariant in terms of gender and academic level. Higher-order factors from the two correlated factors showed an excellent goodness-of-fit. A regression model with latent variables was conducted showing a higher and positive prediction of academic self-concept for the two factors of academic engagement (willingness to study and satisfaction with studies). The ASC has shown itself to be a valid and reliable instrument for use with Spanish university students and may be of special interest, both to teachers and to the students themselves, as it allows us to reflect on the importance of developing confidence and effort during the students’ academic lives.

Highlights

University education is considered a key tool for forming and developing intellectual capital which, in turn, is the most important factor of production in the modern economy [1,2]
The objectives of this study were: (i) to provide reliability and validity evidence on the dimensionality of the Spanish version of two correlated subscales to measure academic self-concept (ASC); (ii) to analyze the factorial invariance of the scale according to sex and educational level; (iii) to analyze a higher-order model of the academic confidence and academic effort subscales; and (iv) to study the predictive relationship of ASC to academic engagement
The findings of this study have shown that ASC is a reliable and valid instrument when applied to Spanish university students and that it can be applied regardless of gender and educational level, demonstrating the instrument’s temporal stability

Summary

Introduction

University education is considered a key tool for forming and developing intellectual capital which, in turn, is the most important factor of production in the modern economy [1,2]. During university training, some students may not have the necessary strategies and skills to meet the demands of academic life and develop negative attitudes as well as experience a decrease in self-confidence, which can lead to poor academic performance and even dropping out of studies [2,5,6]. The ASC is a theoretical construct that is defined as the perceptions that a person has regarding their own capacities in activities related to school [9] This construct is the mental representation of the academic skills that a student makes for him/herself [10], which involve aspects of both self-description and self-evaluation [11], the importance of developing self-confidence and academic effort in students, as these are essential characteristics of ASC [12]

Objectives

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion