TY - JOUR
T1 - Understanding the Construct of Self-Determination
T2 - Examining the Relationship Between the Arc's Self-Determination Scale and the American Institutes for Research Self-Determination Scale
AU - Shogren, Karrie A.
AU - Wehmeyer, Michael L.
AU - Palmer, Susan B.
AU - Soukup, Jane Helen
AU - Little, Todd D.
AU - Garner, Nancy
AU - Lawrence, Margaret
PY - 2008/3
Y1 - 2008/3
N2 - Since the early 1990s, attention has been focused on the importance of self-determination in the education of students with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to further our understanding of the construct of self-determination by examining the relationship between the Arc's Self-Determination Scale and the American Institutes for Research (AIR) Self-Determination Scale student and educator versions. Using structural equation modeling, we found that the theoretical structure of the Arc's Self-Determination Scale and the AIR Self-Determination–Student Scale was supported by the data, while the proposed theoretical structure of the AIR Self-Determination–Educator Scale was not. The analyses suggested that each of the measures of self-determination was measuring a different aspect of the self-determination construct (i.e., it was not possible to create a higher order factor comprising each of the assessments); thus issues related to the goals of the research and the underlying theoretical perspective of each measure must be considered when determining the most appropriate measure of self-determination in research and practice. Implications and future research directions are discussed.
AB - Since the early 1990s, attention has been focused on the importance of self-determination in the education of students with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to further our understanding of the construct of self-determination by examining the relationship between the Arc's Self-Determination Scale and the American Institutes for Research (AIR) Self-Determination Scale student and educator versions. Using structural equation modeling, we found that the theoretical structure of the Arc's Self-Determination Scale and the AIR Self-Determination–Student Scale was supported by the data, while the proposed theoretical structure of the AIR Self-Determination–Educator Scale was not. The analyses suggested that each of the measures of self-determination was measuring a different aspect of the self-determination construct (i.e., it was not possible to create a higher order factor comprising each of the assessments); thus issues related to the goals of the research and the underlying theoretical perspective of each measure must be considered when determining the most appropriate measure of self-determination in research and practice. Implications and future research directions are discussed.
KW - assessment
KW - self-determination
KW - special education
KW - structural equation modeling
KW - students with disabilities
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84992897846&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1534508407311395
DO - 10.1177/1534508407311395
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84992897846
VL - 33
SP - 94
EP - 107
JO - Assessment for Effective Intervention
JF - Assessment for Effective Intervention
SN - 1534-5084
IS - 2
ER -