Perception Of Ability Scale Research Articles

Comparison of Self-Concept and Self-Perceived School Success of Children with Foster Home or Family Upbringing

This study is concerned with comparing the self-concept and self-perceived school success of children aged 10–15 years growing up in foster homes or in family environments. The research was carried out using the standardized Studentʼs Perception of Ability Scale (SPAS) questionnaire (Matějček, Vágnerová, 1992), applied to a sample cohort of 178 selected respondents. The article reflects key aspects relating to this research.

Effect of learning disabilities on academic self-concept in children with epilepsy and on their quality of life

Academic self-concept could significantly affect academic achievement and self-confidence in children with epilepsy. However, limited attention has been devoted to determining factors influencing academic self-concept of children with epilepsy. We aimed to analyze potentially significant variables (gender, frequency of seizures, duration of epilepsy, intellectual disability, learning disability and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) in relation to academic self-concept in children with epilepsy and to additional domains of their quality of life. The study group consisted of 182 children and adolescents aged 9–14 years who completed the SPAS (Student's Perception of Ability Scale) questionnaire determining their academic self-concept and the modified Czech version of the CHEQOL-25 (Health-Related Quality of Life Measure for Children with Epilepsy) questionnaire evaluating their health-related quality of life. Using regression analysis, we identified learning disability as a key predictor for academic-self concept of children with epilepsy. While children with epilepsy and with no learning disability exhibited results comparable to children without epilepsy, participants with epilepsy and some learning disability scored significantly lower in almost all domains of academic self-concept. We moreover found that children with epilepsy and learning disability have significantly lower quality of life in intrapersonal and interpersonal domains. In contrast to children with epilepsy and with no learning disability, these participants have practically no correlation between their quality of life and academic self-concept. Our findings suggest that considerable attention should be paid to children having both epilepsy and learning disability. It should comprise services of specialized counselors and teaching assistants with an appropriate knowledge of epilepsy and ability to empathize with these children as well as educational interventions focused on their teachers and classmates.

Academic self-concept in children with epilepsy and its relation to their quality of life

Objectives:Academic achievement in children with epilepsy is a highly studied topic with many important implications. However, only little attention has been devoted to academic self-concept of such children and the relation of academic self-concept to their quality of life. We aimed to examine academic self-concept in children with epilepsy, to assess its relationship to academic achievement and to determine possible correlations between academic self-concept and quality of life.Methods:The study group consisted of 182 children and adolescents aged 9–14 years who completed the student’s perception of ability scale (SPAS) questionnaire to determine their academic self-concept and the modified Czech version of the CHEQOL-25 questionnaire to determine their health-related quality of life.Results:We found that academic self-concept in children with epilepsy was on average significantly lower than in their peers without seizures, especially with regard to general school-related abilities, reading, and spelling. On the other hand, the variance in the data obtained from the group of children with epilepsy was significantly higher than in the whole population and the proportion of individuals with very high academic self-concept seems comparable among children with and without epilepsy. Moreover, it was found that correlations between academic self-concept and academic achievement are significantly lower in children with epilepsy than in the whole population.Discussion:The presented results suggest that considerable attention should be paid to the role of academic self-concept in education of children with epilepsy and to the factors influencing this self-concept in this group.

Employment Among Schoolchildren and Its Associations With Adult Substance Use, Psychological Well-being, and Academic Achievement

PurposeTo examine the association between paid part-time employment among schoolchildren, and adult substance use, psychological well-being, and academic achievement. MethodsLongitudinal data from the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study were used to evaluate the association between employment at each of 11, 13, and 15 years and adult smoking, regular alcohol binge drinking, regular cannabis use, sense of coherence, social participation, positive coping style, prosociality, no formal qualifications, and university degree. Associations were initially assessed using unadjusted regression analyses and then adjusted for the potential childhood confounders intelligence quotient, reading development, Student's Perception of Ability Scale, socioeconomic disadvantage, family climate, harsh parent–child interaction, parental opinion of their child's attitude to school, and child's personal attitude to school. ResultsEmployment at 11 years of age was associated with a lower odds of adult smoking; the odds of subsequent regular alcohol binge drinking were greater for those who were employed at age 13; and higher adult rates of social participation and prosociality were identified for adolescents who were employed at 15 years of age. When the potential confounders were controlled, employment at age 13 was predictive of both adult smoking and regular binge drinking, and working at 15 years of age was protective against regular cannabis use and associated with greater social participation. ConclusionsThere is no consistent evidence that exposing schoolchildren to part-time employment compromised subsequent health, well-being, and education in a developed country.

Self-concept test generalisability: Self-description questionnaire- I and the perception of ability scale for students

AbstractThe validity of standardised ossessment instruments and their normative data is a significant issue in school psychology. Consequently, this study of 515 coeducational Queensland Year 5 students investigated the generalisability and robustness of the norms of two contemporary self-concept instruments, the Self-Description Questionnaire-I (SDQ-I; Marsh, 1988) and the Perception of Ability Scale for Students (PASS; Boersma & Chapman, 1992). Both tests have received praise for their theoretical construct but have been criticised for the regionalisation of their norming populations.The results of this study demonstrated that the Queensland students had higher mean PASS self-concept scores than the North American students used in the norming of all the PASS scales. For the SDQ- I, a similar distribution pattern was shown for Queensland students and SDQ-I norming sample, with the exception of small variability with Reading and Mothematics self-concepts scales. Issues associated with interpreting and reporting of assessment results and with the assessment responsibilities of educational psychologists and counsellors are discussed.

The Perception of Ability Scale for Students (PASS) in Africa and New Zealand

The present study investigates the Perception of Ability Scale for Students (PASS) which is purported to measure six academic self-concept dynamic factors evident in children. Although previous analyses of PASS among New Zealand children have suggested only Penmanship/Neatness subscale did not yield a significant effect, corresponding analyses among non-Western children have not yet been undertaken in any satisfactory manner. To this end, the present article, reports the treatment by two-way analyses of variance for the PASS on an African sample of 204 Form 2 or Grade 6 students enrolled in various elementary schools. The results suggest the scale does not appear to have a ceiling effect which prevents differentiation of normally-achieving and learning-disabled groups from those of gifted ones. The results also indicate that in comparison with normally-achieving children, the learning-disabled (LD) children are characterized by significantly more negative perceptions of ability and negative academic self-concept, along with tendencies towards learned helplessness and lower achievement expectations for future success in school. The Perception ofAbility Scale for Students is not only a new addition to the field of academic selfconcept measurement, but also a major breakthrough for assessing children's cognitive-motivational variables without the difficulties associated with self-report questionnaires. Nevertheless, the degree of variation across both studies and samples suggests that further refinement of the PASS is required in order to improve its reliability and robustness.

Academic Self-Concepts among English- and Spanish-Speaking Mexican-American Students

The academic self-concepts of Mexican-American elementary school students were examined in terms of language preference (English vs Spanish) and school achievement. One hundred and twenty-five students in grades 4 to 6 participated in the study. Academic self-concept was assessed with the Perception of Ability Scale for Students. The results failed to support the belief that Spanish-speaking students have lower overall academic self-concepts than English-speaking students. However, despite similar levels of achievement in math and reading, the Mexican-speaking students reported lower perceptions of ability in arithmetic and reading/ spelling. On the other hand, Spanish-speaking students reported feeling more confident about their abilities in school, and more satisfied with school experiences than their English-speaking peers. The results are discussed in terms of teacher feedback and social desirability.

The Effects of Irlen Colored Lenses on Students' Specific Reading Skills and Their Perception of Ability

Recent evidence suggests that a specific visual-perceptual dysfunction not normally assessed by eye examination should be considered as a significant cause of reading problems. The use of tinted nonoptical (Irlen) lenses to minimize this dysfunction has been hypothesized to result in significant improvement in reading and other visual-processing skills. The present study involved 44 subjects with reading disabilities (33 males, 11 females), aged between 9 years 1 month and 15 years 11 months, who had been provided with Irlen lenses. Assessment of subjects' perception of their own ability (Student's Perception of Ability Scale) 6 and 12 months after the fitting of Irlen lenses indicated a significant improvement in attitude to school and to basic academic skills. Subjects also demonstrated significant improvements in reading comprehension and reading accuracy, but not in rate of reading, when assessed using the Neale Analysis of Reading Ability at 3-, 6-, and 12-month intervals after lens fitting. Differences in the pattern of improvement are discussed in light of previous findings.

Learning Disabled Children’s Self-Concepts

Studies of learning disabled (LD) children’s self-concepts were reviewed. The findings show that LD students have lower self-concepts than nonhandicapped students. Greater decrements occur for academic self-concept than general self-concept. Significant variations in results were found as a function of the group LD students were compared with, and the instruments used. Studies using the Piers-Harris scale indicated that although LD students obtained lower general and academic self-concept scores than their nonhandicapped peers, these scores were generally within the normal range reported in the manual. On the other hand, scores from the Student’s Perception of Ability Scale indicated that LD students had substantially lower academic self-concepts than either their nonhandicapped peers and those students in the normative sample. Age was not systematically associated with self-concept differences. For most LD children, decrements in self-concept occur by grade 3 and remain fairly stable through high school. Placement environment was not systematically associated with differences in self-concept. Mainstreamed settings did not lead to higher self-concepts than segregated settings. But unplaced “LD” students clearly had lower self-concepts than LD students who were receiving remedial assistance. The results were discussed in terms of factors associated with self concept development in LD students, and the negative effects on achievement outcomes.

Learning Disabled Children's Self-Concepts

Studies of learning disabled (LD) children’s self-concepts were reviewed. The findings show that LD students have lower self-concepts than nonhandicapped students. Greater decrements occur for academic self-concept than general self-concept. Significant variations in results were found as a function of the group LD students were compared with, and the instruments used. Studies using the Piers-Harris scale indicated that although LD students obtained lower general and academic self-concept scores than their nonhandicapped peers, these scores were generally within the normal range reported in the manual. On the other hand, scores from the Student’s Perception of Ability Scale indicated that LD students had substantially lower academic self-concepts than either their nonhandicapped peers and those students in the normative sample. Age was not systematically associated with self-concept differences. For most LD children, decrements in self-concept occur by grade 3 and remain fairly stable through high school. Placement environment was not systematically associated with differences in self-concept. Mainstreamed settings did not lead to higher self-concepts than segregated settings. But unplaced “LD” students clearly had lower self-concepts than LD students who were receiving remedial assistance. The results were discussed in terms of factors associated with self concept development in LD students, and the negative effects on achievement outcomes.

Students' Perceptions of Ability

The present study investigated ability perceptions of 29 intellectually gifted students in the mainstream and 71 average achievers. The Perception of Ability Scale for Students (PASS: formerly the Student's Perception of Ability Scale) was used to assess ability perceptions on three occasions over two years. The results indicated that gifted students held significantly higher ability perceptions in all areas tapped by the PASS except School Satisfaction and Penmanship/Neatness. In general, perceptions of ability were stable for both groups across the two years, although a decline in school satisfaction was noted for both groups. The results suggest that ability perceptions become stable as patterns of performance become stable.

Students Perception of Ability Scale: comparison of scores for gifted, average, and learning disabled students.

On the Student's Perception of Ability Scale, comparison of scores for gifted, average, and learning disabled students differentiated the groups, thereby providing some construct validity as well as confirming the ceiling is high enough for use.

ACADEMIC SELF‐CONCEPT: SOME DEVELOPMENTAL AND EMOTIONAL CORRELATES IN NINE‐YEAR‐OLD CHILDREN

Summary. Eight hundred 9‐year‐old children being studied by the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit were assessed in terms of academic self‐concept, intelligence, and school performance. A short form of the Student's Perception of Ability Scale (SPAS) was used to estimate academic self‐concept. Intelligence was assessed by the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children‐Revised (WISC‐R), reading by the Burt Word Reading Test, spelling by a short form of the Dunedin Spelling Test, comprehension and expression by the respective subscales in the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities (ITPA), and school achievement by parents' perceptions of current attainment levels. The results indicate that the SPAS Short Form yields means, standard deviations, and internal reliability estimates that are consistent with other studies. In addition, sex differences were noted, with girls reporting slightly higher self‐perceptions of ability than boys. In terms of correlations between academic self‐concept and school‐related ability and performance, it was found that SPAS subject‐specific subscale scores correlated moderately with corresponding subject area performance, but weakly or negligibly with WISC‐R and ITPA Comprehension and Expression scores. Perceptions of ability, therefore, appear to be relatively independent of intelligence, and more related to success levels in school. It was also found that children identified as reading retarded had significantly lower self‐perceptions of ability than normal readers. Similarly, depressed children indicated relatively negative self‐concepts compared to past depressed and non‐depressed children.

Student's Perception of Ability Scale: Development of a Short Form

A short form of the Student's Perception of Ability Scale was used with 800 9-yr.-old children. The results indicated that the short form has operating characteristics similar to those of the regular form.

Characteristics of Third-Grade Learning Disabled Children

The Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration, the Wide Range Achievement Test, and the Student's Perception of Ability Scale were administered to 70 learning disabled and 73 normally achieving grade-3 children who had been stratified on full-scale WISC-R IQ scores. WISC-R Verbal-Performance differences, Wide Range Achievement Test, and Student's Perception of Ability scores all differentiated between the two groups, but significant differences were not obtained for visual-motor integration skills. The results are discussed in terms of conducting research with samples matched on IQ and the importance of remedial procedures focusing on verbal, cognitive, and affective development.

Student's Perception of Ability Scale: Comparison of Opscan and Handscoring Forms

An Optical Scan (OPSCAN) computer-scoreable form of the Student's Perception of Ability Scale was compared with the Regular hand-scored form. The results indicated that similar scores may be obtained using either form of the scale.

The Student's Perception of Ability Scale: an Instrument for Measuring Academic Self-Concept in Elementary School Children'

The Student's Perception of Ability Scale (SPAS) was developed in response to a need for a reliable and valid instrument to measure subject-based academic self-concept in elementary school children. This scale was designed for use with children in grades three to six. Descriptive data on the SPAS were discussed in terms of their substantive, structural, and external validity. Normative data were also highlighted. The scale was found to have six meaningful factors, relatively high alpha and test-retest reliability estimates, and reasonably strong discriminant and experimental validity. Data were presented which indicate that the SPAS clearly differentiates between children who have learning problems and those who do not. A concurrent validity coefficient of .489 was obtained with school grades. Further, a recent study indicates that the scale appears useful in assessing affective change over time. It was concluded that the SPAS is measuring a unique domain of academic self-concept and that the scale has good measurement characteristics. Practical and research implications for the scale were also discussed.

Academic Self-Concept Change in Special Education Students: Some Suggestions for Interpreting Self-Concept Scores'

Changes in academic self-concept, as measured by the Student's Perception of Ability Scale, were studied in elementary special education students receiving full-time remedial placement. Pre-post data were collected over a 12-month period on 50 severely learning disabled, 18 educable mentally handicapped, and 83 reg-' ular class children. The results revealed that full-time placement was accompanied by statistically significant increases in academic self-concept, especially in the areas of reading/ spelling and confidence. The discussion deals with possible causes for these changes, e.g., achievement gains and peer reference-group comparisons. Implications of the findings in terms of assessing changes in academic self-concept as a function of remedial placement are discussed.

Comments on Discriminant Validity of Self-Concept Constructs

This paper questions the claim that self-concept is a unitary trait which cannot be satisfactorily divided into discrete components. The authors suggest that molecular aspects of self-concept can be measured through the use of instruments specifically designed to tap distinct facets of self-concept. Data supporting this supposition are discussed in terms of recent findings with the Student's Perception of Ability Scale.

Academic self-concept in elementary learning disabled children: Study with the student's perception of ability scale

Academic self-concept as measured by the Student's Perception of Ability Scale (SPAS) was compared for 81 learning disabled (LD) and 81 normally-achieving control children in grades three to six. The results show that LD children hold significantly more negative self-perceptions of ability in reading, spelling, and arithmetic than do the control children. Further, these negative school subject-related attitudes in the LD children had generalized to lower self-perceptions of ability in general, to expressions of less confidence in school, and more negative attitudes toward school. No grade level or sex effects were observed. It was concluded that the SPAS is able to discriminate between normally-achieving children and those experiencing problems in school, and, accordingly, that the SPAS has good external validity. The results were discussed in terms of using the SPAS for evaluating affective components of remediation, and for identifying high-risk elementary school children. Continuing external validity studies being undertaken by the authors also were noted.