Development of a Behavior Rating Scale for Preschool Children
Un Hai RHEE,Yun Joo KOH
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to develop a behavior rating scale for the evaluation of children`s development for utilization by preschool teachers. The procedures for the study included content validation, pilot test, and main study. A total of 97 items were retained after the content validation and pilot test. The items of the scale were grouped into five areas (physical, language, cognitive, emotional, and social development) and 11 sub-areas. The resulting "Behavior Rating Scale for Preschool Children" was administered to 479 boys and girls, 3-6 through 6-5 years of age, selected from 10 different kindergartens and early education centers in Seoul, Pusan, and Chonju. The analysis of data was done with SPSS computer programs, including item analysis, Cronbach`s α for reliability, factor analysis to test construct validity, two-way ANOVA to test age and sex differences, and percentile norms. The 97 items of the scale were found to be satisfactory in terms of item discrimination with indices ranging from .31 to .73. Cronbach`s α was .98 for the total scale and ranged from .87 to .93 in specific domains, which was considered satisfactory. The factors extracted from each area were consistent with the educational objectives of the Yonsei Open Education Program except for emotional development. The intercorrelations among the domains were relatively high, ranging from .56 to .81. Age differences were significant in cognitive, physical, and language development, but not significant in social and emotional development. Sex differences were significant in all areas with girls higher on the average than the boys. Percentile ranks were drived from the total score for each age group and quartiles were calculated for sub-scores in each domain.
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