Using confirmatory factor analysis to validate the Chamberlin affective instrument for mathematical problem solving...

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Mathematics Education
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Student affect significantly impacts mathematical problem-solving performance but is seldom formally assessed.
• This manuscript introduces an instrument designed to formally assess student affect in mathematics.
• The Chamberlin Affective Instrument for Mathematical Problem Solving (CAIMPS) is presented.

Purpose of the Study:

• To norm the CAIMPS with gifted middle-grade students.
• To inform educational psychologists about the instrument's properties and normalization process.
• To provide a reliable tool for assessing affective factors in mathematics education.

Main Methods:

• The study involved 160 gifted middle-grade students (grades 7-8) in the United States.
• Participants completed the CAIMPS after engaging in model-eliciting activities (MEAs).
• Confirmatory factor analysis was used to determine the instrument's factor structure, with fit indices and alpha levels assessed.

Main Results:

• Confirmatory factor analysis indicated acceptable fit indices (NNFI=0.8072, RMSEA=0.076) and robust alpha levels (0.637-0.923) for the CAIMPS.
• The instrument demonstrated a good fit for assessing affect in middle-grade students during mathematical problem-solving.
• Four distinct factors were identified: AVI (anxiety, value, interest), SS (self-efficacy, self-esteem), ASP (aspiration), and ANX (anxiety).

Conclusions:

• The CAIMPS is suitable for use with middle-grade students in mathematics problem-solving contexts.
• A key finding is the low correlation between the identified affective factors, challenging prior educational psychology hypotheses.
• This suggests a nuanced understanding of student affect in mathematics is possible with validated instruments.