RESEARCH ARTICLE
Constructing a Novel Instrument to Measure Social-Emotional Self-Regulation in Students Aged 8-18
Simon P. Walker1, 2, *, Jo Walker2
Article Information
Identifiers and Pagination:
Year: 2024Volume: 17
E-location ID: e18743501284736
Publisher ID: e18743501284736
DOI: 10.2174/0118743501284736240327051824
Article History:
Received Date: 22/11/2023Revision Received Date: 28/01/2024
Acceptance Date: 14/02/2024
Electronic publication date: 19/04/2024
Collection year: 2024
open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Background
The authors identified a need for instruments that measure a task model of self-regulation as opposed to an emotion model of self-regulation. Such instruments are particularly applicable to student populations.
Objective
This paper explains the construction of one such instrument, Steer Tracking. A four-factor bi-polar conceptual model of four necessary self-regulatory tasks is presented: Trust of Self, Trust of Others, Self-Disclosure and Seeking Change.
Methods
A novel assessment method was developed, requiring a participant to imagine a mental space in which they perform the four self-regulatory tasks. The instrument was deployed in populations of students aged 8-18 attending UK primary and secondary schools. Principal Component Analyses evaluated the proposed four-factor structure across two age groups: 8 to 12 years olds (n = 2171) and 13 to 18 years old (n = 658). A Support Vector Machine (SVM) model in a separate sample (n = 2518) evaluated the assessment’s utility in identifying students who display risk on three wellbeing measures: experiencing bullying, thinking about or engaging in self-harm, and struggling to cope with pressure at school.
Results & Discussion
Analyses provided initial support for the validity of the conceptual model and its ability to identify at-risk students. Key instrument features such as non-standardisation and generalised versus in-school comparison are explained.
Conclusion
Application, relevance and potential benefits of the Steer Tracking instrument for educators and school managers are explored.
