Responsibility for Student Achievement (RSA)

Abstract

The Responsibility for Student Achievement (RSA) Questionnaire is a psychological instrument designed to assess the degree to which teachers attribute student academic outcomes—both success and failure—to factors within their own control (internal responsibility) versus factors external to their influence (student ability, motivation, or environment). Developed by Thomas R. Guskey, the RSA utilizes a unique forced-choice percentage allocation format to measure the strength of a teacher’s perceived responsibility, which is closely related to concepts of locus of control and Attribution Theory in educational settings.

Keywords

Teacher Responsibility, Student Achievement, Attribution Theory, Teacher Efficacy, Educational Psychology, Locus of Control, Academic Success, Teacher Measurement.

Authors

Thomas R. Guskey.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the RSA scale is to quantify the extent of a teacher’s perceived responsibility for student achievement. This measurement is crucial for understanding teacher motivation and professional development needs, as teachers who accept greater responsibility for student outcomes are often more likely to engage in self-reflection and seek opportunities for instructional improvement.

By forcing respondents to allocate a percentage weight between two causal factors (one teacher-centered, one student-centered or external), the instrument provides a fine-grained measure of attributional style. The scale specifically aims to differentiate between internal attributions (e.g., clarity of instruction, planning, motivation provided) and external attributions (e.g., student ability, home environment, test difficulty).

Construct

The RSA instrument is fundamentally rooted in Attribution Theory, particularly as applied in educational psychology. It measures a specific dimension of attribution: the extent to which a teacher accepts personal causality for the academic results of their students. High scores on the RSA generally correlate with high levels of Teacher Efficacy, the belief in one’s own capacity to influence student learning.

The key construct measured is the degree of internal (teacher-controlled) versus external (student or environment-controlled) locus of causality for both positive (success) and negative (failure) student outcomes. Items are often categorized to assess responsibility for success (R+) and responsibility for failure (R-), providing a nuanced view of the teacher’s attributional patterns.

Validity

Early research on the RSA scale established strong construct validity by demonstrating that scores aligned theoretically with other measures of teacher attitudes and beliefs regarding control and influence in the classroom. Studies have shown that teachers who score high on the RSA tend to exhibit greater persistence and innovation in their teaching practices.

Furthermore, content validity is supported by the design of the items, which present common, concrete classroom scenarios involving student success or failure. The use of a percentage weighting system, rather than a simple Likert scale, enhances the instrument’s ability to capture the relative importance teachers assign to internal versus external causal factors.

Reliability

The internal consistency of the RSA Questionnaire has been consistently reported as acceptable to strong across various studies of practicing teachers. Guskey’s initial work (1981) reported high Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, indicating that the items reliably measure the underlying constructs of responsibility for success (R+) and responsibility for failure (R-).

Test-retest reliability is also generally found to be stable, suggesting that a teacher’s attributional style, as measured by the RSA, is a consistent professional characteristic rather than a transient state. This stability reinforces the utility of the RSA as a reliable measure of teacher belief systems.

Factor Analysis

Factor analysis of the RSA typically reveals two distinct, though often correlated, factors corresponding to the two main dimensions of attribution targeted by the scale. These factors are: Responsibility for Success (R+) and Responsibility for Failure (R-). The R+ items assess the degree to which teachers attribute positive student outcomes to their own efforts or instructional strategies.

Conversely, the R- items measure the extent to which teachers accept blame or responsibility for negative student outcomes or learning difficulties. While some instruments might combine these into a single overall responsibility score, the factor structure suggests that analyzing these two dimensions separately provides a more complete picture of a teacher’s professional disposition and belief in their own efficacy.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-Report Questionnaire / Attributional Scale

Format: 30 items, forced-choice percentage allocation (must sum to 100%).

Language Available: English (Original).

Population Group: Teachers, Educators, Pre-service Teachers.

Age Group: Adult (Professionals).

Population Details: Used primarily with K-12 and university educators in studies focusing on professional development and teacher efficacy.

Test Methodology: Respondents read a classroom scenario (e.g., student success, student failure, administrative feedback) and allocate a percentage weight (0% to 100%) between two competing causal explanations: one internal (teacher-controlled) and one external (student or context-controlled). The scoring involves summing the percentages assigned to the teacher-responsible options.

Keywords

Teacher Responsibility, Student Achievement, Attribution Theory, Teacher Efficacy, Educational Psychology, Locus of Control, Academic Success, Teacher Measurement.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not provided in source)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Information not provided in source)

Correspondence Address: N/A (Information not provided in source)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was originally developed and published by Thomas R. Guskey in 1981, with subsequent refinement and use in 1982 and 1988. The instrument is widely referenced and often used in academic research and non-commercial professional development settings. Specific fee and official licensing details must be confirmed by contacting the primary author or relevant academic bodies. The original PDF describing the instrument and scoring procedures can be downloaded here: http://anitawoolfolkhoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Respons-Stu-Achiev-25iwg5g.pdf

Reference’s

Guskey‚ T. (1981). Measurement of responsibility teachers assume for academic successes and failures in the classroom. Journal of Teacher Education‚ 32‚ 44-51.

Guskey, T. R. (1982). Differences in teachers’ attributions for successful and unsuccessful teaching. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New York.

Guskey, T. R. (1988). Teacher efficacy, self-concept, and attributions for success and failure in the classroom. In J. C. K. Lavey & M. F. C. M. L. L. C. P. B. W. B. M. C. J. C. L. L. G. L. L. P. L. T. R. G. D. P. K. R. R. L. R. C. R. R. S. R. R. H. R. J. R. R. R. L. R. L. C. R. D. T. R. L. C. R. R. L. S. T. S. K. T. V. T. R. V. E. A. W. (Eds.), Advances in research on teaching (Vol. 1, pp. 27-49). JAI Press.

Additional resources related to the instrument can be found at: http://anitawoolfolkhoy.com/instruments/ and http://u.osu.edu/hoy.17/research/instruments/

Items of the Responsibility for Student Achievement (RSA)

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

a. because of their personal motivation or

b. because you were very clear in making the assignment?

a. because that student had the natural ability to do well‚ or

R+ b. because of the encouragement you offered?

R- a. because you did not explain it very clearly‚ or

b. because your students are just slow in understanding difficult concepts?

a. because the test was very easy‚ or

R+ b. because you let them know what you expected?

R- a. because you didn’t stress the point strongly enough‚ or

b. because some students just don’t pay attention?

R+ a. because you’ve been successful with most of your students‚ or

b. because chairmen and principals say that sort of thing to motivate teachers?

R+ a. because you helped them overcome their learning difficulties‚ or

b. because these students usually do well in school?

R+ a. because you were successful in encouraging their learning efforts‚ or

b. because your students are basically intelligent?

a. because of his/her personal ideas about teaching methodology‚ or

R- a. because your students haven’t been doing well?

a. because they have done poorly before and don’t really try‚ or

b. because you haven’t had the time to give them all the help they need?

a. because they were already interested in it‚ or

R+ b. because you have helped them organize the contents?

a. because most students forget new concepts quickly‚ or

R- b. because you didn’t get them actively involved in learning?

R- a. because you haven’t insisted on their learning earlier lessons‚ or

b. because they are just slow in understanding and learning?

R+ a. because you reviewed and re-explained the difficult parts‚ or

b. because they were interested in it even before you explained it?

a. because they didn’t really expect to do well‚ or

R- b. because you didn’t insist they prepare adequately?

R+ a. because you have made a special effort with their child‚ or

b. because their child is generally a good student?

a. because he did not work very hard‚ or

R- b. because you didn’t provide the proper motivation for him?

R- a. because you didn’t plan as carefully as usual‚ or

b. because these students just had less ability than others?

R+ a. because you make learning interesting for that student‚ or

b. because students generally try to get on a teacher’s good side?

a. because most students feel you have a nice personality‚ or

R+ b. because you encourage most of your students to learn well

R- a. because you may not be explaining it her level‚ or

b. because she is not used to being helped by adults?

R+ a. because you could get most students to participate in the lesson‚ or

b. because the lesson was an easy one to teach?

a. because some students have that potential to remember things well‚ or

R+ b. because you made the point interesting for that student?

R+ a. because you have him regular feedback on each learning step‚ or

b. because he usually works on something until he gets it?

R- a. because you didn’t have the time to plan the presentation well‚ or

b. because your students are generally hard to motivate?

a. because many of your students have learning problems‚ or

R- b. because you haven’t been able to give that student enough individual attention?

a. because the topic is one which students generally find interesting‚ or

R+ b. because you were able to get most of the students involved?

a. because their parents were supporting the school’s efforts‚ or

R+ b. because you had been able to motivate them to work hard?

a. because you are not willing to really work at it or

R- b. because you weren’t able to make it interesting for them?

R- a. because you have difficulty getting that parent’s child to do the work you require‚ or

b. because that parent’s child is developmentally not ready to do well in your class?

a. because learning is a difficult activity for many of your students‚ or

R- b. because you just weren’t able to motivate students to work as hard as they should?