Validation of Science Identity Scale in the Indian Secondary School Students

Abstract

Science Identity (SciID) measure (Lockhart et al., 2022) was verified within the Indian context using sample of 110 secondary school students in grade 9. Results of an exploratory components analysis demonstrated that first two factors dealt with 68.4% of variance in SciID construct. The construct's factor structure had been confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis employing estimator Maximum Likelihood (ML) and goodness of fit estimates such as CMIN/DF =1.86, CFI =0.931, RMSEA =0.167, TLI =0.957, as well as SRMR=0.08. This estimate was 0.949 for the first seven items of the component "Exploration" and 0.917 for 7 out of 9 items of the second factor "Commitment." This suggests that the scale's reliability has been correctly measured. In the context of India, the scale's value in identifying secondary school students' scientific identities has been studied.