A Cross-Cultural Validation of the Epistemic Belief Inventory (EBI)

The psychometric properties of the scores on the Epistemic Belief Inventory (Schraw, Bendixen, & Dunkle, 1995) were examined using an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) (principal axis factor) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on a total sample of 1,242 elementary school teachers. Results of the EFA supported the hypothesized five-factor model but the items had loaded on different factors. In addition, five items were removed from further analyses. Using a separate sample, a CFA was performed and the results revealed a poor fit. Separate one-factor CFAs were followed and the findings revealed possible sources of misfit. It is recommended that the issue culture be considered in future validations and revisions of the EBI in order to be a reliable measure to wider audiences and contexts.