Measuring Self-Perceived Role Competence among First Nations and Non Native Children

Abstract

The objective of this research is to develop and test measures of self-perceived academic and social competence among First Nations and non native children. The method used is the analysis of psychometric properties of scales derived from questionnaires administered to First Nations children four culture areas of North America, as well as comparison samples of non native children. The results consist of the reliability coefficients, which fall into a satisfactory range; an internal consistency which increases with age; an agreement between self- and teacher-rated competence which is higher for non native than for native children. In the second grade, the competence scores of the native and non native children were equal. Thereafter, the scores of the native children either declined or remained static, while the non native scores tended to increase. In conclusion, the Flower of Two Soils scales are suitable for children from elementary schools, from First Nations and the majority culture. As children mature, the assessments of competence become an increasingly stable part of their repertoire of self-percepts; asynchronous socialization may adversely affect self-perceived competence.

Assessment of Functional Impairment in Spanish Children

“…The S-PRC (Beiser, Lancee, Gotowiec, Sack, & Redshirt, 1993) evaluates self-perceived academic and social competence on two scales: instrumental competence (13 items) and social competence (12 items for parents' version and 9 for children's version). In the original sample, the questionnaire has demonstrated satisfactory reliability and inter-informant agreement.…”

Cultural distance and emotional problems among immigrant and refugee youth in Canada: Findings from the New Canadian Child and Youth Study (NCCYS)

“…Administered as part of the CAC, this 11-item scale with 4 forced-choice responses is derived from Beiser, Lancee, Gotowiec, Sack, and Redshirt (1993). Items include: (a) "I am good at school/work"; (b) "I can do my schoolwork/work quickly"; (c) "I am able to figure out problems at school/work"; (d) "I catch on quickly."…”

“…Administered to the youth participant as part of the CAC and derived from Beiser et al (1993), this 11-item scale with 4 forced-choice responses includes items such as: (a) "Other people like me"; (b) "I enjoy being with other people"; (c) "I'm easy to get along with." This scale had an alpha of 0.87 and scores ranged from 17 to 44 (M = 38.24, SD = 5.79).…”

Newcomer Children: Experiences of Inclusion and Exclusion, and Their Outcomes

“…Social competence was measured by utilizing the social acceptance and close friendship scale derived from two sources, the Peer Relationships Subscale (Marsh, 1988) and the study by Beiser et al (1993). It consists of four statements (derived from the CAC questionnaire): I have a lot of friends; I get along easily with others my age; others my age want me to be their friend; and most others my age like me.…”