A multilevel examination of an instrument measuring school renewal via teachers. (June 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ma, Xin; Shen, Jianping; Reeves, Patricia; Yuan, Jing
• Is Part Of: Studies in educational evaluation. Volume 65(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-06
• Subjects: Multilevel confirmatory factor analysis -- Multilevel reliability analysis -- School renewal -- Teachers; Curriculum evaluation -- Periodicals; Educational tests and measurements -- Periodicals; Programmes d'études -- Evaluation -- Périodiques; Tests et mesures en éducation -- Périodiques; 375.006
• DOI: 10.1016/j.stueduc.2020.100850
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0191-491X

Abstract

Highlights: Teachers generate a valid and reliable measure of school renewal at the school level. Using teacher perceptions of school renewal should be avoided at the teacher level. Multilevel confirmatory factor analysis supports Orientation to School Renewal. Multilevel reliability analysis derives reliabilities at teacher and school levels. Abstract: The purpose of the present study was to assess an instrument that uses responses from teachers to measure principal behaviors on the critical educational issue of school renewal. To account for the data hierarchy of teachers nested within schools, we employed a multilevel confirmatory factor analysis and estimated multilevel reliabilities at both teacher and school levels to examine the instrument. With 2765 teachers from 148 schools, the instrument showed acceptable structural validity. Specifically, we found that when teachers provide responses as indicators of school renewal, the instrument can generate a valid and highly reliable measure or estimate of school renewal at the school level. However, data analysis at the teacher level attempting to use teacher perceptions of school renewal as either dependent variables or independent variables should be avoided because of the low reliability at the teacher level.