Initial Development and Validation of the Student Engagement for Students for Flexible Learning Environments (STUD-E Sflex) Assessment for Effective Intervention

Abstract

Student engagement has been researched from multiple perspectives due to its impact on academic skill attainment. However, most of this research has focused on grades above elementary school, leaving a gap in student engagement at the elementary level. This study reports on the psychometrics of a newly developed instrument designed to measure elementary school student engagement. The hypothesis assumes that student engagement for elementary school students is a meta-construct comprised of several specific constructs (e.g. Participation, Effort, Autonomy, Competence, Sense of Belonging and Positive Relationships). This study reports on preliminary development and validation of a 42-item, multidimensional, self-report measure of elementary students’ engagement. This instrument, The Student Engagement for Students for Flexible Learning Environments (STUD-E Sflex) was piloted employing a target sample of 202 students in third and fourth grade. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated the model specified above provided evidence for the each of the six hypothesized constructs. Discussions and implications of these findings are presented in the context of elementary student engagement.