Statistical biases associated with single-level analyses underscore the importance of partitioning variance/covariance matrices into individual and group levels. From a multilevel perspective based on data from 21,579 students in 58 high schools, the present study assesses the multilevel factor structure of motivation and engagement with a…

The structure of the six vocational interests measured by the Holland Vocational Preference Inventory was identified. Results of two separate analyses showed that a general factor accounted for much of the total variance. Remaining bipolar factors supported previous classifications of interests. (Author/GK)

Learning processes, as measured by the Approaches to Studying Inventory, contributed to the prediction of freshman grades of 181 Australians. Other measures, such as college entrance examinations, locus of control, and student background characteristics, had less predictive ability. (GDC)

The contribution of family environment to variation in achievement scores of children was found to be relatively small compared to the contribution of social status. Parental aspirations and their educational orientations assessed by home interviews and the implications of this study for previous environmental research are discussed. (Author/CM)

Studied descriptive measurement reliability and validity of scores from the newly developed Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale (MSES) for class and test with a sample of 302 Australian high school students. Results provide some evidence for the psychometric properties of the MSES in both contexts, but there is evidence of failure to counterbalance…

This article reports on the development of a short questionnaire to measure work engagement--a positive work-related state of fulfillment that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption. Data were collected in 10 different countries (N = 14,521), and results indicated that the original 17-item Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) can be…

Canonical-redundancy analyses were computed across the Profile of Mood States and the Eight State Questionnaire on a sample of 289 college undergraduates in order to estimate the degree of measurement overlap of the two multidimensional mood-state instruments. (Author/BS)

Investigations of the Inventory of Learning Processes (ILP) with college freshmen revealed satisfactory internal consistency coefficients for two of the four ILP scales but cast doubt on the factor structure of the inventory. As predictors of grade point average of Australian students, the scales were successful. (Author/GK)

Logical difficulties with existing measures of construct implications are examined, and a new instrument that partially overcomes them--the Logical Relations Grid--is described. Empirical data from a study of 28 children and 47 parents in Australia are given in support of instrument reliability and validity. (SLD)

Providing additional data concerning the reliability and discriminant validity of Aiken's Enjoyment of Mathematics and Value of Mathematics Scales resulted in a degree of correlation between scales lower than for Aiken's data. Also, the view that the scales measure different aspects of attitude toward mathematics was supported. (PN)

A survey devised to measure students' perceptions of their medical school was completed by undergraduates at two schools with radically different approaches to medical education. The survey was reliable in terms of its internal consistency, and exhibited strong validity for a construct of school learning environment. (Author/AL)

An extension of Tinto's model of the college dropout process was tested with freshmen at an Australian university. The college entrance examination was a relatively valid predictor of whether students will pass, achieve honors, or fail or withdraw. Nonintellective factors were not valid predictors of academic progress. (Author/BW)

The distinctiveness of the subscale structure of an attitude instrument, the Test of Science-Related Attitudes (TOSRA), was examined. Factor analysis of the item correlation matrix obtained from student responses suggested that the seven subscales of the test were not distinct. (Author/GK)

Developed a multidimensional measure of affect and cognition in relation to adult learning of computing skills, the Computer Anxiety and Learning Measure (CALM). Results from 794 Australian undergraduates support the validity and reliability of the CALM with this population, although whether the measure is invariant across different adult…

The reliability and factorial validity of the Self Concept as a Learner Scale was studied, using 12-year-old Anglo-Australians. Reliability was acceptable for total scale and three subscales (task orientation, problem solving, and class membership), but not motivation. The validity of the factorial subscales was not confirmed. (GDC)