Validation of the Spanish Version of the Academic Engagement Scale for Primary Education

Authors

  • Antonio Morcillo-Martínez University of Castilla-La Mancha https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8901-5406
  • Álvaro Infantes-Paniagua University of Castilla-La Mancha https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3552-300X
  • Andrés García-Notario University Alfonso X el Sabio
  • Onofre Ricardo Contreras-Jordán University of Castilla-La Mancha

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30827/relieve.v27i2.22769

Keywords:

Academic engagement, Cross-cultural adaptation, Validation, Primary Education, Instrument
Agencies: Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities [Reference: PID2019-105167GB- I00]

Abstract

Student academic engagement is currently a topic of great interest within the field of educational research. Consensus exists in the scientific literature that it is a multifaceted construct made up of three dimensions: behavioral, affective/emotional and cognitive engagement. Nonetheless, other work has emerged advocating for the inclusion of a fourth dimension, namely, agentic engagement. Despite advances produced internationally, in Spain, there is a lack of valid instruments to measure academic engagement at primary education level. Thus, the present study aimed to carry out a cross-cultural validation and adaptation to the Spanish context of two important instruments for measuring academic engagement in primary education. Following a process of adaptation, the instrument was administered to a sample of 527 students (54.3% boys, 45.7% girls) undertaking 3rd to 6th grade primary education in six schools in the province of Albacete (Spain). Confirmatory factor analysis was performed of different plausible models in order to obtain the most appropriate factor structure. Reliability analyses were also conducted. Outcomes revealed that better fit was achieved in models in which agentic engagement was integrated separately to the other three dimensions, making this the most appropriate option. The resulting instrument, the academic engagement scale for primary education students, was shown to be valid and reliable for measuring this construct within Spanish students undertaking between 3rd and 6th grade of primary education.

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Author Biographies

Antonio Morcillo-Martínez, University of Castilla-La Mancha

He is a doctoral student in Research in Humanities, Arts and Education at the Faculty of Education of Albacete, University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM). He is a Primary Education Teacher, Master’s Degree in Educational Research and Innovation (UCLM). His lines of research focus on the measurement of cognitive factors associated with educational processes, academic commitment, condition and physical activity of students

Álvaro Infantes-Paniagua, University of Castilla-La Mancha

PhD in Education (University of Castilla-La Mancha, UCLM, 2021, FPU16/00082). He is a Primary Education Teacher (UCLM), Master’s Degree in Educational Research and Innovation (UCLM), and Master’s Degree in Teacher Training for gifted students (UCLM). He was honoured with the Extraordinary End of Studies Award in Degree 2015 and Master 2017. Member of the EDAF research group (UCLM) from 2017. He has authored more than 15 publications in national and international journals and books. Currently, his research focuses on the associations between physical activity and education-related outcomes, self-concept, and giftedness.

Andrés García-Notario, University Alfonso X el Sabio

He is a clinical psychologist and doctor in the department of psychology of the Alfonso X El Sabio University. He has 25 years of experience in clinical practice and heads the university department of psychology. His main interests and lines of research are focused on the educational world, both in the diagnosis and treatment of learning difficulties, and in gifted students.

Onofre Ricardo Contreras-Jordán, University of Castilla-La Mancha

PhD in Law (University of Castilla-La Mancha, UCLM, 1992). Professor of the area of Didactics of Body Expression at the University of Castilla-La Mancha since 2000. Teacher of Primary Education by the University of Murcia (1976). Degree in Physical Education from the Polytechnic University of Madrid (1984). Degree in Law (UNED, 1984). He has been the director of the Department of Physical Education, Arts Education, and Music for 19 years. Principal Investigator of the recognized research group Teaching Sport and Physical Activity (EDAF). He has participated in 33 research projects (as a collaborator or IP). He is the director of his own Master’s degree aimed at teacher training for gifted students. Author of more than 124 articles published in national and international journals, of which 48 of them were published in journals indexed in JCR (six Q1 in JCR and a Q1 in SJR).

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Published

2021-12-22

How to Cite

Morcillo-Martínez, A., Infantes-Paniagua, Álvaro, García-Notario, A., & Contreras-Jordán, O. R. (2021). Validation of the Spanish Version of the Academic Engagement Scale for Primary Education. RELIEVE – Electronic Journal of Educational Research and Evaluation, 27(2). https://doi.org/10.30827/relieve.v27i2.22769

Issue

Vol. 27 No. 2 (2021)

Section

Research Articles

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