Sample
The MSS was employed and tested in the PISA 2003 study. Five out of eight items from MSS were also used
inStankov, Lee et al. (2012) study based on 7167 Secondary school students (15-year-olds) from four Confucian
and five European countries. The mean and standard deviations for the overall sample were 3.73 and .78
respectively.
Reliability
Internal Consistency
Morony et al. (2013) reported a mean Cronbach alpha coefficient of .85, ranging from .78 (Latvia) to .91
(Taiwan).
Test/C0Retest
Stankov and Lee (2008) reported test /C0retest reliabilities ranging from .68 to .85.
Validity
Convergent/Concurrent
The self-efficacy factor correlated positively with factors measuring Self-concept ( r5.57) and Confidence as
assessed in the judgment of accuracy paradigm described below ( r5.61) ( Stankov, Lee et al., 2012 ).Lee (2009)
also found evidence for the existence of a separate self-efficacy factor defined by these same items.
Divergent/Discriminant
The self-efficacy factor correlated negatively with Mathematics Anxiety ( r5/C0.39) ( Stankov, Lee et al., 2012 ).
Stankov, Lee et al. (2012) also reported the results of principal components analysis with PROMAX rotation ( N5
1605) based on a broader selection of constructs. These included the self-efficacy and mathematics self-concept
and anxiety, as well as measures of self-concepts related to memory, reasoning, accuracy and self-evaluation. The
results of this analysis led to a solution where self-efficacy split its variance between a self-beliefs component and
another component with loadings on Accuracy, Self-evaluation and Confidence measures. Morony et al. (2013)
found correlations close to zero between self-efficacy measures and Big Five personality scores.
Construct/Factor Analytic
When submitted to exploratory factor analysis, all eight items defined a single Self-efficacy factor ( Morony
et al., 2013 ).
Criterion/Predictive
Stankov, Lee et al. (2012) reported that Mathematics Self-Efficacy correlated .45 with Mathematics perfor-
mance, higher than any other self-beliefs construct with the exception of Confidence that is assessed with the
judgment of accuracy paradigm described below. The standardized beta coefficient for predicting mathematics
accuracy from this self-efficacy measure was .38 without Confidence included in the predictor set, and reduced
to .18 when Confidence was included.
Location
OECD (2005) .PISA 2003 Technical Report, PISA , OECD Publishing. doi: 10.1787/9789264010543-en .
Results and Comments
The MSS is a short scale that has demonstrated adequate reliability and good predictive validity. Given that
self-efficacy assessed at the item level is one of the best non-cognitive predictors of cognitive ability, followed
closely by mathematics anxiety ( Morony et al., 2013; Stankov, Lee et al., 2012 ), the MSS approach to the measure-
ment of self-efficacy is likely to be employed successfully in other content areas. For example, Stankov, Lee et al.
reported similar findings with English achievement test items. Presently, however, the scale is limited by the use
of a sample drawn from a specific age bracket and the lack of investigation into its test /C0retest reliability.
However, the MSS appears to be a useful cross-cultural scale for the measurement of Mathematics Self-Efficacy/
Confidence in Secondary school students.175 CONFIDENCE AND ITEM LEVEL MEASURES OF SELF-EFFICACY
II. EMOTIONAL DISPOSITIONS