Academic Expectations in Mothers of Preschool Children: A Psychometric Study of the Educational Attitude Scale
- 1 January 1990
- journal article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in Early Education and Development
- Vol. 1 (3) , 165-184
- https://doi.org/10.1207/s15566935eed0103_1
Abstract
This study reports psychometric data on the Educational Attitude Scale, a new instrument designed to tap parental opinions about early academic, artistic, athletic, and social experiences. Mothers of 371 middle class prekindergarten children in 22 different schools completed the 32-item Likert-style survey. Mothers were highly similar in their views about the importance of social experiences, but differed widely in their opinions about early academic instruction for preschoolers. The scale proved to have excellent split-half and test-retest reliability. Correlational analysis and factor analysis supported the general domain structure along which the instrument was designed. Scores on the Educational Attitude Scale were significantly correlated with scores on a Developmental Expectations Card Sort. Highly significant differences were found in parent attitudes on the scale when schools were grouped into those High versus Low in academic emphasis by community reputation and observed classroom practices. Pare...Keywords
This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit:
- Parents' Ideas, Actions, and Feelings: Models and Methods from Developmental and Social PsychologyChild Development, 1988
- Formal schooling for four-year-olds? No.American Psychologist, 1987