VALIDATION OF THE SCALE: A MEASURE OF MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS' TRANSITION EXPERIENCES Public Deposited

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  • March 19, 2019
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  • Malley, Kathleen
    • Affiliation: School of Education
Abstract
  • The SCALE, a measure of students' middle school transition experiences, was validated for use with diverse, sixth-grade students attending metropolitan middle schools. Analyses were conducted to validate the SCALE using data from seven schools from both the fall and spring of sixth grade (N = 761; 52.30% female, 52.30% White, 48.10% free/reduced lunch status). Consistent with life course theory (Elder & Shanahan, 2006), three SCALE subscales were evident in the data, representing students' responses to the academic, procedural, and social demands of middle school. Overall, students' perceptions of their ability to meet the demands of middle school were positive, but academic demands were particularly difficult, specifically for male students. The SCALE exhibited full measurement invariance across gender and socioeconomic status, and partial invariance across race/ethnicity. SCALE subscales had good internal consistency in the fall and were stable across the sixth-grade year. Construct validity for all SCALE subscales was demonstrated through diverse students' experiences with transition demands early in sixth grade and significant concurrent and predictive relationships to indicators of students' adjustment in the fall and spring of 6th grade. After reviewing theoretical and statistical evidence gathered in the present study, the SCALE was determined to be suitable for use with diverse sixth-grade students.
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  • In Copyright
Advisor
  • Meece, Judith L.
  • Gottfredson, Nisha
  • Ware, William
  • Hamm, Jill
  • Griffin, Dana
Degree
  • Doctor of Philosophy
Degree granting institution
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduate School
Graduation year
  • 2015
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  • Chapel Hill, NC
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