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Few studies have used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and exploratory bifactor factor analysis (EBFA) to define a baseline factor structure model checking the construct-relevant psychometric multidimensionality of student engagement. This study was conducted on a sample of 3,374 students in France, Wallonia-Brussels Federation, and Luxembourg by using EFA and EBFA, and by comparing four confirmatory factor models of student engagement in the classroom. Results indicated the relevance of a bifactor model to disentangle general and specific factors of student engagement in the classroom in relation with student misconduct at school. The study suggests that if student engagement is principally a unidimensional construct, specific latent dimensions also exist (e.g., specific boredom behaviors) that have a substantive value and must be specified to increase quality of measurement and predictive validity.

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À travers les constats issus de l’analyse des réponses de 139 parents et celles de leurs enfants fréquentant le cycle 3.1 (âge théorique de 8 ans) de l’enseignement fondamental luxembourgeois à la version révisée du questionnaire d’Hoover-Dempsey et Sandler (1995, 1997), il s’agit de mettre en évidence l’influence du rôle parental et du sentiment de compétence parentale sur le processus de décision des parents à s’engager dans le cursus scolaire de leur enfant. Les résultats mettent en évidence que le sentiment de compétence parentale comme la façon dont les parents perçoivent leur rôle au niveau du cursus scolaire semblent constituer : 1) un élément central au sein de la dynamique d’engagement parental, 2) un élément intermédiaire entre le vécu scolaire des parents (surtout au niveau de leurs propres résultats scolaires) et les variables « enfants » dont, notamment les performances scolaires de ces derniers mais aussi, 3) une composante sujette à l’influence de l’origine sociale et culturelle des familles.

The few studies that have analyzed the factorial structure of early number skills have mainly used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and have yielded inconsistent results, since early numeracy is considered to be unidimensional, multidimensional or even underpinned by a general factor. Recently, the bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling (bifactor-ESEM)—which has been proposed as a way to overcome the shortcomings of both the CFA and the exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM)—proved to be valuable to account for the multidimensionality and the hierarchical nature of several psychological constructs. The present study is the first to investigate the dimensionality of early number skills measurement through the application of the bifactor-ESEM framework. Using data from 644 prekindergarten and kindergarten children (4 to 6 years old), several competing models were contrasted: the one-factor CFA model; the independent cluster model (ICM-CFA); the exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM); and their bifactor counterpart (bifactor-CFA and bifactor-ESEM, respectively). Results indicated acceptable fit indexes for the one-factor CFA and the ICM-CFA models and excellent fit for the others. Among these, the bifactor-ESEM with one general factor and three specific factors (Counting, Relations, Arithmetic) not only showed the best model fit, but also the best coherent factor loadings structure and full measurement invariance across gender. The bifactor-ESEM appears relevant to help disentangle and account for general and specific factors of early numerical ability. While early numerical ability appears to be mainly underpinned by a general factor whose exact nature still has to be determined, this study highlights that specific latent dimensions with substantive value also exist. Identifying these specific facets is important in order to increase quality of early numerical ability measurement, predictive validity, and for practical implications.