Recording of job-related self-concepts of prospective teachers (ERBSE-L)

Abstract

The Recording of job-related self-concepts of prospective teachers (ERBSE-L) is a robust, validated instrument designed for the multidimensional assessment of occupation-related self-concepts among future educators. It captures six domain-specific dimensions: Subject Knowledge, Innovation, Media Competence, Diagnostics, Education (Pedagogy), and Counselling. The scale is highly economical, making it suitable for large-scale studies focused on the professionalization of prospective teachers. Initial analyses indicate that the instrument possesses satisfactory to good psychometric parameters, including strong evidence of its validity.

Keywords

Self-concept, Occupational self-concept, Prospective teachers, Teacher professionalization, Diagnostics, Psychometrics, Large-scale assessment.

Authors

Jan Retelsdorf, Stefanie Bauer, Maike Gebauer, Tanja Kauper, Jens Möller.

Purpose

ERBSE-L was developed specifically as a research instrument for social science studies concerning the professionalization of teachers during the first phase of teacher education (university study). The primary goal was to create a tool that accurately reflects the domain-specificity of the self-concept, which plays a critical role in models of professional competence (e.g., Baumert & Kunter, 2006, 2011).

Unlike previous research that often focused on global self-assessments or teacher self-efficacy, ERBSE-L addresses the multifaceted demands of the teaching profession by operationalizing six distinct, career-related dimensions. The instrument is intended for standardized written administration (paper-pencil or online) in group settings and is not suitable for individual case diagnostics.

Construct

The scale measures job-related self-concepts (SK) of prospective teachers, conceptualized as six domain-specific dimensions explicitly oriented toward the professional competence areas outlined in German educational standards (KMK, 2004; Terhart, 2002).

The six key dimensions measured are:

• SK Fach (Subject Knowledge): Related to teaching the academic subject matter.
• SK Medien (Media): Related to the use of media in teaching (part of the competence area “Unterrichten” – Teaching).
• SK Erziehung (Education/Pedagogy): Related to the competence area “Erziehen” (Educating/Nurturing).
• SK Diagnostik (Diagnostics): Related to assessing student performance (part of the competence area “Beurteilen” – Assessing).
• SK Beratung (Counselling): Related to advising students (part of the competence area “Beurteilen” – Assessing).
• SK Innovation: Related to implementing changes and school development (competence area “Innovieren” – Innovating).

Validity

Evidence for the validity of ERBSE-L is comprehensive, stemming primarily from the factor analyses described below. The scale demonstrates initial indications of convergent, discriminant, predictive, and factorial validity, as detailed in the original publication (Retelsdorf et al., 2014).

In the second large-scale study (N = 5802), the measurement model was tested for invariance across critical variables, including gender, type of teaching degree (Lehramt), study phase, and measurement time point. Results indicated that the measurement model holds consistently and is independent of these variables. Furthermore, plausible group differences were tested, and correlations with external criteria, such such as study motivation and academic performance, were analyzed, generally supporting the instrument’s validity.

Reliability

The Reliability of the six dimensions was assessed using Cronbach’s Alpha (α) across both validation studies. Given the brevity of the subscales (three or four items each), the internal consistency values are considered satisfactory to good and remained relatively stable between the two samples.

The reliability coefficients are summarized below (Retelsdorf et al., 2014):

Factor Analysis

Scale development involved rigorous item analysis and factor extraction across two studies. In the initial study (N = 484), an array of Exploratory Structural Equation Models (ESEM) was tested to determine the underlying structure. Although acceptable fit was observed for models ranging from six to eight factors, the results, supported by a Parallel Analysis (Horn, 1965), strongly suggested a robust six-factor solution.

This six-factor structure was subsequently replicated and confirmed in a second, much larger sample (N = 5802) using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The fit indices for the six-factor model in Study 2 demonstrated acceptable to good fit: χ²(155) = 1544.15, CFI = .966, TLI = .958, RMSEA = .039, SRMR = .032. This analysis confirmed the distinctness of the six proposed domain-specific self-concept dimensions (Subject, Innovation, Media, Diagnostics, Education, and Counselling).

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire / Psychometric scale

Format: 20 items, positively coded, utilizing a 4-point Likert scale (1 = trifft überhaupt nicht zu, 4 = trifft völlig zu).

Language Available: German (deutsch)

Population Group: University students enrolled in teacher education programs (Lehramtsstudierende).

Age Group: Young adults (Mean age in studies approximately 22 years).

Population Details: The scale was validated on large samples of German prospective teachers (N=484 and N=5802). The scale items have been used in representative surveys.

Test Methodology: Written self-assessment (Paper-Pencil and online administration). Scale scores are calculated by forming mean values (or sum scores) across the three or four items belonging to each dimension. No item recoding is necessary. The resulting score range for each of the six dimensions is 1 to 4.

Keywords

Beruf, Selbstkonzept, Lehramt, Professional competence, Teacher standards, Reliability, CFA.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected]

Correspondence Address: Jan Retelsdorf, Leibniz-Institut für die Pädagogik der Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik (IPN), Olshausenstraße 62, 24118 Kiel, Germany.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was developed and used within the PaLea (Panel zum Lehramtsstudium) project. Further details regarding usage permissions and fees should be requested from the correspondence author, Jan Retelsdorf. The validation data cited is primarily from 2014 (Retelsdorf et al., 2014).

Reference’s

• Baumert, J., & Kunter, M. (2006). Stichwort: Professionelle Kompetenz von Lehrkräften. Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft, 9(4), 469–520.
• Baumert, J., & Kunter, M. (2011). Hattie-Bilanz – Was wissen wir über wirksamen Unterricht? Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft, 14(S1), 29–46.
• Retelsdorf, J., Bauer, S., Gebauer, M., Kauper, T., & Möller, J. (2014). Erfassung berufsbezogener Selbstkonzepte angehender Lehrkräfte: Der ERBSE-L. Zeitschrift für Pädagogische Psychologie, 28(3), 163–175.
• Tschannen-Moran, M., & Woolfolk Hoy, A. (2001). Teacher efficacy: Capturing an elusive construct. Teaching and Teacher Education, 17(7), 783–805.
• Möller, J., Retelsdorf, J., Köller, O., & Marsh, H. W. (2011). The Internal/External Frame of Reference Theory, Dimensional Comparison Theory, and Gender Differences in Academic Self-Concept and Academic Choices. Psychological Science, 22(7), 875–882.
• KMK (Kultusministerkonferenz). (2004). Standards für die Lehrerbildung: Bildungswissenschaften. Beschluss der Kultusministerkonferenz vom 16.12.2004.

Items of the Recording of job-related self-concepts of prospective teachers (ERBSE-L)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

Instruktion

„Es folgen nun einige Aussagen dazu, wie Sie sich einschätzen, wenn es um verschiedene Kompetenzen geht, die für Ihren späteren Beruf wichtig sein könnten. Bitte geben Sie jeweils an, wie Sie sich jetzt in den einzelnen Bereichen einschätzen.“

Antwortvorgaben

Für jedes Item stehen vier Antwortalternativen zur Verfügung: 1 = trifft überhaupt nicht zu, 2 = trifft eher nicht zu, 3 = trifft eher zu und 4 = trifft völlig zu

Items