Adaptation of Volitional Competency Scale for Middle School Students

Abstract

This study aims to adapt the Volitional Competency Scale (VCS), developed by Keller, Uçar, and Kumtepe (2020) based on the ARCS-V model, for use with middle school students. After consulting with experts with doctoral degrees in distance education, Turkish language teachers, and middle school students, the scale was revised. In the second phase, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted with a sample of 156 middle school students to determine the factor structure of the scale. In the third phase, the factor structure obtained as a result of the exploratory factor analysis was examined with a confirmatory factor analysis in a new sample of 272 middle school students. In the final stage, the test-retest reliability of the scale was examined in a sample of 20 students. The exploratory factor analysis revealed that the scale has a single-factor structure for middle school students. The internal consistency reliability analysis of the scale in two different samples showed that the Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient varied between .83 and .93. Lastly, the test-retest reliability, calculated two weeks apart, was found to be .91. These results indicate that the VCS is a relevant and reliable measurement tool for use with middle school students.