Asset-Based Identity Measurement

Abstract

The Asset-Based Identities Measure (ABIM), developed by López et al. (2024), is a 21-item psychological scale designed to evaluate K-12 students’ perceptions concerning the implementation of asset-based pedagogy (ABP). ABP is an educational framework that seeks to affirm the belonging, intersectional identities, and competence of minoritized student populations.

The measure’s development rigorously followed the guidelines outlined in the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (AERA, APA, NCME, 2014) and utilized Kane’s (2013) argument-based validation framework. Initial validation studies conducted in an urban Arizona school district provided strong evidence of the measure’s reliability and internal structure, supporting its use as a formative assessment tool for evaluating teacher practices.

Keywords

Intersectionality, Competence, Belonging, Minoritized Students, Asset-Based Pedagogy, Student Identities, Argument-Based Approach, Teacher Practice, Student Voices, Formative Assessment.

Authors

Francesca López (Pennsylvania State University), DeLeon Gray (North Carolina State University), Mildred Boveda (Pennsylvania State University), Dynah Oviedo (Tucson Unified School District), Nilam Ram (Stanford University), Lorenzo López (Tucson Unified School District).

Purpose

The primary purpose of the ABIM questionnaire is to systematically gather and center student voices regarding their classroom experiences. By quantifying student perceptions of asset-based practices, the measure serves as a crucial formative assessment tool designed to inform and improve teacher practices and educational research.

Specifically, the measure aims to provide educators with actionable data concerning how effectively classroom environments are affirming students’ sense of belonging and recognizing their unique intersectional strengths and identities, thereby promoting equitable educational outcomes.

Construct

The ABIM measures the construct of Asset-Based Teaching Practices as perceived through the student lens. This construct is operationalized by focusing on how minoritized students experience classroom environments that affirm their competence, foster their sense of belonging, and validate their intersectional identities.

The scale is rooted in the principles of Asset-Based Pedagogy (ABP), assuming that positive student perceptions along these three dimensions indicate the successful implementation of teaching strategies that shift the focus from perceived student deficits to their existing cultural, linguistic, and experiential assets.

Validity

Validation efforts for the Asset-Based Identities Measure followed rigorous standards, employing Kane’s argument-based validation framework to establish trustworthiness. Evidence for Construct Validity demonstrated that the measure aligns with its theoretical foundation; notably, Latinx and Multiracial students reported higher agreement with the asset-based items, consistent with the theoretical expectations of the ABP framework.

Furthermore, the evaluation of the Internal Structure confirmed the appropriateness of the factor model. Examination of the item-factor structure and the stability of the measure reinforced its suitability for accurately evaluating the presence and impact of ABP in diverse educational settings.

Reliability

The reliability of the ABIM was assessed primarily through internal consistency, utilizing Cronbach’s alpha ($alpha$) coefficients across the full scale and its three distinct subscales. The overall 21-item measure demonstrated excellent internal consistency, yielding an alpha coefficient of $alpha = .94$.

Subscale reliability indices were also strong: the Belonging subscale (8 items) achieved $alpha = .90$; the Intersectionality subscale (9 items) achieved $alpha = .84$; and the Competence subscale (4 items) maintained acceptable reliability at $alpha = .77$. Researchers confirmed that removing items from any subscale did not improve the respective internal consistency coefficients, indicating a well-optimized item set.

Factor Analysis

A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed to test the hypothesized dimensional structure of the ABIM. Two competing models were evaluated using data from K-12 students: a single-factor model and a three-factor model corresponding to the Competence, Belonging, and Intersectionality subscales.

The results decisively favored the three-factor structure. Key fit indices for the three-factor model demonstrated superior performance (e.g., SRMR = .05, RMSEA = .08, CFI = .90, TLI = .88) compared to the single-factor model (SRMR = .38, RMSEA = .19, CFI = .39, TLI = .36). This statistical evidence confirms that the ABIM effectively measures three distinct yet related dimensions of asset-based identities, supporting the conceptual structure of the instrument.

Instrument

Test Type: Inventory/Questionnaire

Format: Participants respond using a 9-point Likert-type scale, ranging from -4 (Strongly Disagree) to +4 (Strongly Agree), prompted by the phrase: "In today’s class…"

Language Available: English (Initial validation study)

Population Group: Human (Male & Female), K-12 Students

Age Group: Childhood (birth–12 years), School Age (6–12 years), Adolescence (13–17 years)

Population Details: K-12 students in an urban school district in Arizona, including minoritized student populations such as Latinx and Multiracial students.

Test Methodology: Test Validity, Construct Validity, Test Reliability, Internal Consistency, Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis

Keywords

K-12 Education, Educational Psychology, Student Voice, Likert Scale, Internal Consistency, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Validation Framework, Arizona School District, Minoritized Youth, Educational Measurement.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Nilam Ram: ORCID: 0000-0003-1671-5257

Affiliation Email addresses: Not specified in source material.

Correspondence Address: Not specified in source material.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The measure was published and validated in 2024 (López et al., 2024). Information regarding specific permissions for commercial use or associated fees is not specified in the primary validation article. Researchers seeking to utilize the scale should contact the corresponding author, Francesca López, for current usage permissions and licensing details.

Reference’s

López, F., Gray, D., Boveda, M., Oviedo, D., Ram, N., & López, L. (2024). Centering student voice to inform teacher practice and research: Validation of an asset-based identities measure. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 42(2), 166–191. https://doi.org/10.1177/07342829231216778

Items of the Asset-Based Identities Measure

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

This measure assesses various aspects of asset-based identities through a series of items. Participants rate their agreement with each item on a scale ranging from Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree. The items are categorized into Belonging, Competence and Task Value, and Intersectional Identities.

Items

The items included in the measure are as follows:

Belonging

• The feedback my teacher gave me helped me meet expectations.

• My teacher connected what we learned with my life outside of school.

• My teacher looked out for me.

• My teacher made me feel like my opinions and ideas matter.

• My teacher let us ask others for help when we needed it.

• The material connected the world around me.

• My teacher made me feel like what I learned matters.

• My teacher tried to help me when I was struggling, sad, worried, angry, upset, or frustrated.

Competence and Task Value

• I did well.

• I enjoyed the work I did.

• I was interested in the material we covered.

• We learned things that matter to my life.

Intersectional Identities

• I felt positively about my race/ethnicity.

• The material taught me about my race/ethnicity.

• My teacher supported my learning needs.

• My teacher had high expectations of me.

• People spoke multiple languages.

• I saw examples of smart people from my ethnic background.

• The material connected to my home life experience.

• I learned from someone with a different home life experience than mine.

• Students of all genders were treated fairly.

Scale

The items are rated on a scale as outlined in the following table:

Note: Items are rated from -4 Strongly Disagree to +4 Strongly Agree.