Waschl, Nicolette

Culturally bounded in nature, adaptive behavior is the degree to which a person meets the requirements of personal independence and social responsibilities. This study aimed to develop a computerized adaptive test (CAT) of a culturally appropriate adaptive behavior measure (i.e., the Activities and Participation Rating Scale [APRS]) in the Singapore context for children aged 7 to 12 years, that is, the CAT-APRS-Primary. In Study 1, an item bank consisting of 310 adaptive skills was developed and piloted among 56 caregivers. In Study 2, the refined 310 items were calibrated using Rasch analysis among 352 caregivers. After the removal of five poor items based on the Rasch analysis, the finalized 305 items were used for the CAT development, with these items showing good Rasch person and item fit statistics. Preliminary utility of the CAT-APRS-Primary was established, with participants completing 24 items on average. Limitations and implications for future research were discussed.

Behavioral regulation supports children to control their cognitive and emotional skills and participate fully in classroom learning and interactions. Teacher ratings are frequently used to collect data but are highly susceptible to the teacher’s response bias, meaning much child level variance is attributable to the teacher level. Multilevel modeling techniques are commonly used to assess the psychometric properties of measures at different levels by disaggregating within- and between-teacher variation in student behaviors. In this study, we attempt to identify the factor structure at each level using teacher ratings on the Child Behavior Rating Scale (CBRS). The sample of 1,375 preschool children (49.2% males) was drawn from a longitudinal study in Singapore. The teacher ratings of these children were collected at three time points (average age at Time 1 was 58.5 months, Time 2 was 69.8 months, and Time 3 was 80.9 months). Using multilevel exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, a three-factor model at the within level and a two-factor model at the between level best fit the data. At the within level, the three factors were identified as basic interpersonal skills, advanced interpersonal skills, and learning-related social skills. The three factors showed good internal consistency and differential correlates. The two factors at the between level may be related to teacher and classroom characteristics. This study provides empirical support for (a) differential factor structures of CBRS at the within and between levels; and (b) two distinct interpersonal skills. Future studies should aim at exploring the sources of between level variability.

This paper compares conceptions of teacher quality in two education systems – Singapore and Hong Kong – that consistently perform well in international assessments of student achievement. Both systems constantly refresh their expectations of teacher competencies, with recent iterations, which offer a just-in-time opportunity to learn from how they now conceptualise quality teaching. This paper will provide the context surrounding each jurisdiction’s education system, how each views teacher quality, and how each has rethought the concepts of teacher quality according to their unique contextual circumstance. The paper then compares these concepts articulated and enacted by each country, linking these to the wider international literature and scholarship in order to glean insights into what teacher quality is or how it might be reconceptualised to meet future needs.

In China, more than 90% of individuals in need are not receiving mental health services, partially because of the scarcity of valid and reliable developmental tools. This project aimed to adapt and validate a parent-completed screening tool, the Ages & Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional, Second Edition (ASQ:SE-2), to fill in this gap. First, a national representative sample of 2,830 children was accessed to establish cutoff scores. Results from a confirmatory multidimensionality item response theory analysis supported a two-factor structure with this sample. Evidence for item response theory reliabilities and internal consistency were also examined. The second study compared the Chinese ASQ:SE-2 with three convergent measures in a regional sample. Chinese ASQ:SE-2 total scores significantly correlated with most of the domain and total scores on the convergent measures. The classification agreement achieved a maximum of 85%. This project supports the use of the ASQ:SE-2 in the Chinese population, enhancing its clinical utility.

Executive functions (EFs) correlate positively with many developmental outcomes, and ecologically valid measures of EFs may be more predictive of some outcomes than performance-based measures. Accordingly, there is a need to evaluate short EF rating scales, such as the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-2nd Edition Screener, Teacher Report (BRIEF2-TS). Data from 1,322 kindergarten children in Singapore (50% girls; 61.3% Chinese, 10.6% Malay, 16.3% Indian, 4.0% other ethnicity, and 7.8% did not report their ethnicity), followed for 3 years, were used to examine the multilevel factor structure, gender and longitudinal invariance, reliability, and concurrent and predictive validity of BRIEF2-TS scores. Results indicated a two-factor within-level structure (11 items; cognitive and emotional–behavioral regulation) that was at least partially invariant across gender and time. Concurrent validity with direct EF measures and ratings of self-regulation, and predictive validity for socioemotional and academic skills were good. Overall, BRIEF2-TS scores showed evidence for good validity and reliability. Future research should consider correlates of the between-level structure and further consider structure and validity in clinical samples. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Family quality of life (FQoL) constitutes an important aspect of early intervention. However, the culture bound nature of this construct necessitates validation of FQoL measures when being used in a culture different from the one in which they were developed. This study sought to understand the psychometric properties and construct validity of the Beach Center FQoL (BCFQoL) scale in Singapore. Data from 307 caregivers of children in an early intervention programme were used. These caregivers completed the BCFQoL scale and external validity measures of family outcomes, psychological distress and life situation. Confirmatory factor analysis and correlations were used to examine the factor structure and convergent and discriminant validity of the BCFQoL scale. Results indicated support for five FQoL dimensions and a higher-order FQoL factor. External convergent and discriminant validity, as well as internal statistical discriminant validity of the individual BCFQoL dimensions were supported. Despite evidence of internal statistical discriminant validity, there was little variation in the strength of the relationships between individual BCFQoL dimensions and the various external validity measures. Overall, the results of this study support the use of the BCFQoL scale as a valid measure of FQoL in Singapore.

Both language input and output are important to child language learners’ heritage language development. Nevertheless, existing studies mainly focus on language input, leaving the significance of language output underexplored. The current study assessed 201 kindergarteners’ Mandarin skills (i.e., receptive vocabulary, receptive grammar, and verbal fluency) in Singapore, and investigated the influence of children’s Mandarin experience, and specifically output, on these Mandarin skills. The results based on multilevel models reveal that children’s Mandarin experience plays a crucial role in the three Mandarin skills, after controlling for children’s gender, language aptitude, and English proficiency. Specifically, children’s onset age of Mandarin speaking and the number of places where they used Mandarin alone significantly predict all the Mandarin skills.

This study aimed to examine (1) the psychometric properties of The Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) in early childhood (EC) preservice (N = 202) and in-service (N = 182) teachers, and (2) the effect of teaching experience on efficacy beliefs. Findings indicated that EC teachers’ efficacy beliefs were best represented by a bifactor model (i.e., one general and three specific factors); teachers generally perceived their capabilities in teaching at a more general level rather than specific to different classroom functions. Teaching experience had a significant effect on efficacy beliefs for preservice but not for in-service teachers. This study fills a gap in our understanding of EC teachers’ sense of efficacy by providing empirical evidence on the structure of efficacy beliefs and the effect of teaching experience on efficacy beliefs in preservice and in-service EC teachers. In this study, a new efficacy factor named Responsive Teaching emerged, capturing an element of in-service EC teachers’ perceptions of their capabilities that may be specific to the EC setting. Findings regarding the effects of experience on preservice EC teachers’ sense of efficacy may provide guidance on targeted instruction to increase sense of efficacy.