Pupil Attitude Questionnaire (PAQ)
Measures student alienation in school across five dimensions: powerlessness, self-estrangement, normlessness, meaninglessness, and isolation.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Pupil Attitude Questionnaire (PAQ) was developed by Kolesar, H. (1967). It is designed to measure Student Alienation. The scale is intended for use with High school students.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 60 items organized into 5 factors/subscales: Powerlessness, Self-Estrangement, Normlessness, Meaninglessness, Isolation.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Powerlessness | 5,7,8,13,28,29,30,34,41,51,53,59 | 12 |
| Self-Estrangement | 10,12,16,21,26,31,32,36,40,43,44,54 | 12 |
| Normlessness | 1,2,3,11,15,18,24,27,35,42,52,56,57,58 | 14 |
| Meaninglessness | 6,14,17,19,33,37,38,39,45,46,47,60 | 12 |
| Isolation | 4,9,20,22,23,25,48,49,50,55 | 10 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 19 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 60 to 300. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Alienation: 60 – 140
- Moderate Alienation: 141 – 220
- High Alienation: 221 – 300
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.79 (test-retest).
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.