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Measuring student engagement among elementary students: pilot of the Student Engagement Instrument--Elementary
Chandra P Carter1, Amy L Reschly1, Matthew D Lovelace1
1Department of Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology.
Summary
Student engagement is key to preventing school dropout. This study validated the Student Engagement Instrument-Elementary Version (SEI-E), finding a 4-factor model best fits engagement data in urban elementary students.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- School Psychology
Background:
- Early school withdrawal (dropout) has significant negative consequences for individuals and society.
- Student engagement is a critical factor in school completion and dropout prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate the psychometric properties of the Student Engagement Instrument-Elementary Version (SEI-E).
- To assess the factor structure of student engagement in an ethnically diverse urban elementary school sample.
Main Methods:
- Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted.
- Data were collected from a diverse sample of 1,943 urban elementary students.
Main Results:
- A 4-factor model of student engagement demonstrated the best fit for the collected data.
- This finding diverges from previous studies that proposed 5- and 6-factor models for the SEI.
Conclusions:
- The validated 4-factor SEI-E provides a robust measure for assessing student engagement in elementary settings.
- Findings support the use of student engagement measures in developing effective dropout prevention interventions.
