Domain-Specific Diversity Model Scales

Abstract

The Domain-Specific Diversity Model Scales (Konings, Ağirdağ, & De Leersnyder, 2023) were developed to capture how schools approach ethnic-cultural diversity based on the School Diversity Model (SDM; Plaut, 2010). Scale content was generated from existing scales and a literature review (e.g., Byrd, 2015; Chen & Starosta, 2000), with novel items being created by the authors and items originating in English being translated into Dutch using the back-translation method (Brislin, 1970). The resulting 47-item measure was evaluated in a Flemish sample of pre- and in-service teachers. Factor analysis, reliability, and validity results were reported for these items.

Keywords

Ethnic-Cultural Diversity; School Diversity Model; Teacher Perceptions; Assimilationism; Pluralism; Color-Blindness; Language; Religion; Identity; Curriculum; Interculturalism; Multiculturalism; Critical Consciousness Socialization; Assimilation Rules; Participation-Multiculturalism.

Authors

Konings, Roy; Ağirdağ, Orhan; De Leersnyder, Jozefien

Purpose

The purpose of this instrument is to be a novel domain-specific scale that asks for teachers’ perceptions of practices associated with three common cultural diversity models (i.e., assimilationism, color-blindness, and pluralism) across four concrete domains (i.e., language, religion, curriculum and identity) in the school context.

Validity

Construct Validity: Using structural equation modeling, the authors found that these domain-specific scales were related to personal and educational diversity beliefs, multicultural teaching knowledge, and self-efficacy beliefs in expected directions. Highlighting the importance of a domain-specific approach, the authors did find that the correlations of diversity models with teacher and personal diversity beliefs were sometimes different depending on the domain in which the diversity model was applied.

Reliability

Internal Consistency: Cronbach’s alphas ranged from .651 to .932.

Factor Analysis

Exploratory Factor Analysis: The authors found that assimilationism could be measured reliably in three domains, excluding curriculum. Color-blindness was only applied to curriculum. The authors found that pluralism was applied to each of the four domains, and that further distinctions based on specific theoretical sub-aspects of pluralism could be made.
Confirmatory Factor Analysis: The authors fit a second-order factor model in which the domain specific scales were first-order factors and the SDMs second order factors. For this model, the SRMR did not reach the cut-off value. Still, the RMSEA indicated a good model fit and all standardized loadings were high (never lower than 0.484) and significant. Therefore, although there were some indications that model fit could still be improved upon, the model fit reached mostly satisfactory levels.

Instrument

Test Type: Original
Format: All items can be answered on a 5-point Likert Scale ranging from ‘Absolutely not true (1)’ to ‘Absolutely true (5)’.
Language Available: English, Dutch
Population Group: Human; Male; Female
Age Group: Adulthood (18 yrs & older)
Population Details: Respondents: Flemish In-Service and Pre-Service Teachers. Location: Belgium.
Test Methodology: Test Validity; Construct Validity; Test Reliability; Internal Consistency; Factor Analysis; Confirmatory Factor Analysis; Exploratory Factor Analysis; Structural Equation Modeling.
Number of Items: This measure consists of 47 items.
Subscales/Domains: Language; Religion; Curriculum; Identity.
Factors: Multiculturalism; Interculturalism; Assimilationism; Pluralism; Assimilation rules; Critical consciousness socialization; Color-Blindness; Participation-Multiculturalism.
Administration Method: Electronic
Test Items Available: No data is Available

Keywords

Educational Measures; Educational Program Evaluation; Models; Multicultural Education; School Environment; Teacher Attitudes; Multiculturalism; Ethnic Diversity; Cultural Diversity.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier:
Konings, Roy: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4501-0504

Affiliation:
Konings, Roy: KU Leuven
Ağirdağ, Orhan: KU Leuven
De Leersnyder, Jozefien: KU Leuven

Email Addresses:
Konings, Roy: [email protected]

Correspondence Address:
Konings, Roy: [email protected]

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permissions: Contact Corresponding Author
Fee: No
Commercial: No
Test Year: 2023

References

Konings, R., Ağirdağ, O., & De Leersnyder, J. (2023). School diversity models revisited: A plea and first evidence for a domain specific approach. Social Psychology of Education: An International Journal, 26(4), 1127–1179. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-023-09784-0

Items of the Domain-Specific Diversity Model Scales

No data is Available