Validation of measures of middle schoolers' self-efficacy for physical and emotional health, and academic tasks

The development and psychometric study of a measure of middle schoolers' perceptions of self-efficacy for Physical, emotional, and academic behaviors appropriate to their age and developmental tasks are described. The validation of the Middle School Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (MISSE) included the adaptation of existing items and the generation of new ones. Items were subjected to judges' review by two expert panels and were tested with a large, geographically diverse sample of Youngsters aged 11-14. Statistical analyses included factor analysis, internal consistency estimations, t tests, and analyses of variance for hypothesis testing related to construct validity. Results showed support for the expected factors and provided evidence of the validity of the MISSE. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.