The Early Childhood Educators' Spiritual Practices in the Classroom (ECE-SPC) Instrument: Validation Study Using Rasch

• In Event: Multiple Lenses on Spirituality in Education

Abstract

A one-of-a-kind instrument was designed for early childhood educators to measure how they nurture children’s spirituality in their secular educational settings. This study presents three validity evidence sources (test content, internal structure, and relationships to other variables) from the responses of 365 educators, purposely sampled from 36 states. Findings show the expert panel agreed items accurately represented the desired construct and a psychometrician proposed recommendations for revising multidimensional items. The Rasch (1960, 1980) measurement analysis recommended collapsing the five-point frequency scale to a four-point and removing two reverse-scored items. The revised ECE-SPC demonstrated excellent item fit, person and item reliability, and separation. The ECE-SPC is recommended as a self-report instrument to improve support of developmentally appropriate practices and holistic development.

Authors

• Jennifer Mata-McMahon, University of Maryland - Baltimore County
  Presenting Author

• Lance Kruse, North Carolina State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Michael J. Haslip, Drexel University
  Presenting Author