Quality of School Life Scale – QSL
Measures students' multidimensional reactions to school in general, their classwork, and their teachers.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Quality of School Life Scale – QSL was developed by Epstein, J. L., & McPartland, J. M. (1976). It is designed to measure Quality of School Life. The scale is intended for use with Students in grades 4-12.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 11 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Satisfaction with School, Commitment to Classwork, Reactions to Teachers.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Satisfaction with School | 1,2,3 | 3 |
| Commitment to Classwork | 4,5,6,7 | 4 |
| Reactions to Teachers | 8,9,10,11 | 4 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Varies by item (True/False, Multiple Choice, or Likert).
The scale includes 4 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 33. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Quality of School Life: 0 – 11
- Moderate Quality of School Life: 12 – 22
- High Quality of School Life: 23 – 33
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.80 – 0.89.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.