ACADEMIC SELF-CONTROL SCALE FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS: A VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY STUDY

Abstract

Academic self-control refers to the individual's self-control behaviors in the academic field. The study reported in this article aims to develop a valid and reliable instrument for evaluating the academic self-control behaviors of secondary school students between the ages of 11-14. The study sample consists of 1087 students (female n = 545; male n = 539; unreported n = 3) in Ankara, Turkey. As a result of the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) conducted to evaluate the construct validity of the Academic Self-Control Scale (ASCS), two factors named "academic perseverance" and "academic attention" were determined. These factors explained 47.11% of the variance in the participants’ academic self-control scores. Additionally, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) results confirmed the suitability of the factor structure. The Academic Perseverance Scale was used for criterion validity, and a positive correlation (.74) was found. The internal consistency reliability measured using Cronbach Alpha was found .81. The test-retest reliability result was .93. These findings indicate that the ASCS could be used to assess academic self-control of secondary school students.