Student Self-Efficacy Instrument (SSEI)
Measures academic locus of control and self-efficacy in students by assessing their attributions of academic success and failure to internal versus external causes.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Student Self-Efficacy Instrument (SSEI) was developed by E. J. Hillman (1986). It is designed to measure Academic Locus of Control and Self-Efficacy. The scale is intended for use with Students (grades 4-12).
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 64 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Internal Attribution, External Attribution.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Internal Attribution | 2,3,5,8,9,12,13,16,17,20,22,24,26,28,29,32,33,36,37,40,42,44,46,48,49,52,53,55,58,60,61,64 | 32 |
| External Attribution | 1,4,6,7,10,11,14,15,18,19,21,23,25,27,30,31,34,35,38,39,41,43,45,47,50,51,54,56,57,59,62,63 | 32 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Not sure, 2 = A little sure, 3 = Medium sure, 4 = Pretty sure, 5 = Very sure.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 32 to 160. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Attribution Strength: 32 – 74
- Moderate Attribution Strength: 75 – 117
- High Attribution Strength: 118 – 160
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Not specified in source.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.