Validation of the construct of self-determination through the ARC-INICO scale for teenagers

Jesús-Miguel Muñoz-Cantero
Luisa Losada-Puente

Abstract

Self-determination is a good predictor of quality of life, which is defined as a strategy that aims to increase and improve the educational practices focused on individuals’ needs at a global and life-long-term level. Hence, the evaluation of this construct has undergone notable advances in our country due to the acceptance of international theoretical models and the design of specific instruments for our context. The ARC-INICO scale (Verdugo et al., 2014) assesses four characteristics of self-determined behavior in teenagers: autonomy, self-regulation, empowerment and self-concept. This structure is based on the Wehmeyer’s Functional Model (1999, 2003). It has only been validated with Spanish students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The purpose of this study is to assess the psychometrical properties of this scale in Galician population, checking its equivalence both for use with young people with neurological development disorders and without them. The sample was made up of 2 220 high school students. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis was conducted to test the scale structure using the original proposal based on a higher-order factor structure on a correlated four factor model, and a single-factor model which assumes the unidimensionality of self-determination. Regarding the reliability, high overall internal consistency and for its sections has been found. Although the unifactorial model offers an acceptable adjustment (Model 1: GFI = .958, AGFI = .941, RMSEA = .057), it is superior in the higher order model (Model 2: GFI = .970, AGFI = .954; RMSEA = .049). In addition, the factorial invariance measure shows the utility of model 2 to compare scores according to the presence or absence of neurological development disorders. In conclusion, the ARC-INICO scale provides an important basis for decisions making regarding the design of care programs, through the development of resources, guidelines and strategies, and provides information for the differential provision of said resources and supports.

This is the English version of an article originally printed in Spanish in issue 272 of the revista española de pedagogía. For this reason, the abbreviation EV has been added to the page numbers. Please, cite this article as follows: Muñoz-Cantero, J. M., & Losada-Puente, L. (2019). Validación del constructo de autodeterminación a través de la escala ARC-INICO para adolescentes | Validation of the construct of selfdetermination through the ARC-INICO scale for teenagers. Revista Española de Pedagogía, 77 (272), 143-162. doi: 10.22550/REP77-1-2019-04

Referencias | References

Abalo, J., Lévy, J., Rial, A., & Varela, J. (2006). Invarianza factorial con muestras múltiples. In J. Lévy (Ed.), Modelización con estructuras de covarianzas en ciencias sociales (pp. 259-278). Madrid: Netbiblio.

Adams, N., Little, T. D., & Ryan, R. M. (2017). Self-determination theory. In M. L. Wehmeyer, K. A. Shogren, T. D. Little, & S. J. Lopez (Eds.), Development of self-determination through the life-course (pp. 47-54). New York: Springer Link.

Arellano, A., & Peralta, F. (2013). Autodeterminación de las personas con discapacidad intelectual como objetivo educativo y derecho básico: Estado de la cuestión. Revista Española de Discapacidad, 1 (1), 97-117. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.5569/2340-5104.01.01.05

Bandalos, D. L. (2002). The effects of item parceling on goodness-of-fit and parameter estimate bias in structural equation modelling. Structural Equation Modelling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 9 (1), 78-102. doi: 10.1207/S15328007SEM0901_5

Bandalos, D. L., & Finney, S. J. (2012). Factor analysis: Exploratory and confirmatory. In G. R. Hancock, & R. O. Mueller (Eds.), The reviewer’s guide to quantitative methods in the social sciences (pp. 93-114). New York: Routledge.

Browne, M. W., & Cudeck, R. (1993). Alternative ways of assessing model fit. In K. A. Bollen, & J. S. Long (Eds.), Testing structural equation models (pp. 136-162). Thousand Oaks, California : Sage.

Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods. New York: Oxford University Press.

Byrne, B. M. (2008). Testing for multigroup equivalence of a measuring instrument: A walk through the process. Psicothema, 20 (4), 872- 882. Retrieved from http://www.psicothema.com/english/psicothema.asp?id=3569 (Consulted on 13/02/2017).

Cheung, G. W., & Rensvold, R. B. (2002). Evaluating goodness-of-fit indexes for testing measurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling, 9 (2), 233-255. doi: 10.1207/S15328007SEM0902_5

Cho, H.-J., Wehmeyer, M. L., & Kingston, N. M. (2013). Factors that predict elementary educators’ perception and practice in teaching self-determination. Psychology in the Schools, 50 (8), 770-780. doi: 10.1002/pits.21707

Chou, Y.-C., Wehmeyer, M. L., Palmer, S. B., & Lee, J. (2016). Comparisons of self-determination among students with autism, intellectual disability, and learning disabilities: A multivariable analysis. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 14, 1-9. doi: 10.1177/1088357615625059

Elosua, P. (2005). Evaluación progresiva de la invarianza factorial entre las versiones original y adaptada de una escala de autoconcepto. Psicothema, 17 (2), 356-362. Retrieved from http://www.psicothema.com/psicothema.asp?id=3112 (Consulted on 12/02/2017).

Griffin, L. K., Adams, N., & Little, T. D. (2017). Self-determination theory, identity development, and adolescence. In M. L. Wehmeyer, K. A. Shogren, T. D. Little, & S. J. López (Eds.), Development of self-determination through the life-course (pp. 189-196). New York: Springer Link.

Kelloway, E. K. (2014). Using Mplus for structural equation modeling: A researcher’s guide. NewYork: Sage.

Kline, R. B. (2015). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. New York: The Guildford Press.

Lee, Y., Wehmeyer, M., Palmer, S., William-Diehm, K., Davies, D., & Stock, S. (2012). Examining individual and instruction-related predictors of the self-determination of students with disabilities: multiple regression analysis. Remedial & Special Education, 33 (3), 150-161. doi: 10.1177/0741932510392053

Little, T. D. (2013). Longitudinal structural equation modeling. New York: Guilford Press.

Little, T. D., Cunningham, W. A., Shahar, G., & Widaman, K. F. (2002). To parcel or not to parcel: Exploring the question, weighing the merits. Structural Equation Modeling, 9, 151-173. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/S15328007SEM0902_1

Murumbardó, C., Guàrdia, J., & Giné, C. (2018). Autodeterminación: midiendo el constructo en jóvenes con y sin discapacidad. Siglo Cero: Revista Española sobre Discapacidad Intelectual, 1, 137-138. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14201/scero20180

Peralta, F., & Arellano, A. (2014). La autodeterminación de las personas con discapacidad intelectual: Situación actual en España. Revista CES Psicología, 7 (2), 59-77. Retrieved from http://revistas.ces.edu.co/index.php/psicologia/article/view/2891

Prieto, G., & Delgado, A. R. (2010). Fiabilidad y validez. Papeles del Psicólogo, 31 (1), 67-74. Retrieved from www.papelesdelpsicologo.es/resumen?pii=1797 (Consulted on 16/02/2017).

Schalock, R. L. (2018). Seis ideas que están cambiando el campo de las discapacidades intelectuales y del desarrollo en todo el mundo. Siglo Cero: Revista Española sobre Discapacidad Intelectual, 49 (1), 7-19. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14201/scero2018491719

Shogren, K. A., & Wehmeyer, M. L. (2016). Self-determination and goal attainment. In M. L. Wehmeyer, & K. A. Shogren (Eds.), Handbook of research-based practices for educating students with intellectual disability (pp. 255-273). New York: Routledge.

Shogren, K. A., Wehmeyer, M. L., & Burke, K. M. (2017). Self-determination. In K. A. Shogren, M. L. Wehmeyer, & N. N. Singh (Eds.), Handbook of Positive Psychology in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (pp. 49-64). New York: Springer.

Shogren, K. A., Wehmeyer, M. L., Palmer, S. B., Forber-Pratt, A. J., Little, T. J., & Lopez, S. (2015). Causal agency theory: Reconceptualizing a functional model of self-determination. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 50 (3), 251-263. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/24827508 (Consulted on 16/11/2017).

Shogren, K. A., Wehmeyer, M. L., Palmer, S. B., & Paek, Y. (2013). Exploring personal and school environment characteristics that predict self-determination. Exceptionality: a Special Education Journal, 21 (3), 147-157. doi: 10.1080/09362835.2013.802231

Shogren, K. A., Wehmeyer, M. L., Schalock, R. L., & Thompson, J. R. (2017). Reframing educational supports for students with intellectual disability through strengths-based approaches. In M. L. Wehmeyer, & K. A. Shogren (Eds.), Handbook of research-based practices for educating students with intellectual disability (pp. 17-31).New York: Routledge.

Vega, C., Gómez-Vela, M., Fernández-Pulido, R., & Badía, M. (2013). El papel del contexto educativo en la autodeterminación. Análisis de su influencia en el proceso de transición a la vida adulta de alumnos con discapacidad intelectual. Revista Iberoamericana de Educación, 63, 19-33. Retrieved from https://rieoei.org/RIE/article/view/418 (Consulted on 22/06/2017).

Verdugo, M. A., Vicente, E., Fernández-Pulido, R., Gómez-Vela, M., Wehmeyer, M. L., & Guillén, V. M. (2015). Evaluación psicométrica de la escala ARC-INICO de autodeterminación para adolescentes con discapacidad intelectual. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 15 (2), 149-159. doi: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2015.03.001

Verdugo, M. A., Vicente, E. M., Gómez, M., Fernández, R., Wehmeyer, M. L., Badía, M., … & Calvo, M. I. (2014). Escala ARC-INICO de evaluación de la autodeterminación: Manual de aplicación y corrección. Salamanca: INICO.

Vicente, E., Guillén, V. M., Gómez, L., Ibáñez, A., & Sánchez, S. (2018). Elaborando una escala de autodeterminación a partir del consenso entre expertos. Siglo Cero: Revista Española sobre Discapacidad Intelectual, 1, 138-139. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14201/scero20180

Vicente, E., Verdugo, M. A., Gómez-Vela, M., Fernández-Pulido, R., & Guillén, V. (2015). Propiedades psicométricas de la escala ARC-INICO para evaluar la autodeterminación. Revista Española de Orientación y Psicopedagogía, 26 (1), 8-24. doi: 10.5944/reop.vol.26.num.1.2015.14339

Vicente, E., Verdugo, M. A., Gómez-Vela, M., Fernández-Pulido, R., & Guillén, V. (2017). Personal characteristics and school contextual variables associated with student self-determination in Spanish context. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 42 (3), 1-12 doi: 10.3109/13668250.2017.1310828

Walker, H. M., Calkins, C., Wehmeyer, M. L., Walker, L., Bacon, A., Palmer, S. B., … & Jonhson, D. R. (2011). A social-ecological approach to promote self-determination. Exceptionality: A Special Education Journal, 19 (1), 6-18. doi: 10.1080/09362835.2011.537220

Wehmeyer, M. L. (1995). The arc’s self-determination scale: procedural guidelines. Texas: The ARC of United States. Wehmeyer, M. L. (1999). A functional model of self-determination: describing development and implementing instruction. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 14 (1), 53-61. doi: 10.1177/108835769901400107

Wehmeyer, M. L. (2003). A functional theory of self-determination: model overview. In M. L. Wehmeyer, B. Abery, D. E. Mithaug, & R. Stancliffe (Eds.), Theory in Self-Determination: foundations for Educational Practice (pp. 182-201). Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas. Wehmeyer, M. L. (2015). Framing the future: Self-determination. Remedial and Special Education, 36 (1), 20-23. doi: 10.1177/0741932514551281

Wehmeyer, M. L., & Abery, B. H. (2013). Self-determination and choice. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 51 (5), 399-411. doi: 10.1352/1934-9556-51.5.399

Wehmeyer, M. L., Field, S., & Thoma, C. A. (2012). Self-determination and adolescent transition education. In M. L. Wehmeyer, & K. W. Webb (Coords.), Handbook of adolescent transition education for youth with disabilities (pp. 171-190). London: Routledge.

Wehmeyer, M. L., & Kelchner, K. (1995). The Arc’s self-determination scale. Arlington: The Arc National of United States.

Wehmeyer, M. L., & Shogren, K. A. (2018). Self-determination and positive psychological aspects of social psychology. In D. S. Dunn (Ed.), Positive psychology: Established and emerging issues. New York: Rutledge. West, S. G., Taylor, A. B., & Wu, W. (2015). Model fit and model selection in structural equation modeling. In R. H. Hoyle (Ed.), Handbook of structural equation modeling (pp. 209-231). New York: The Guilford Press.

Author Biography

Jesús Miguel Muñoz Cantero is a PhD from the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela. Director of the Department of Specific Didactics and Research and Diagnosis Methods in Education, and Professor at the Universidade da Coruña. He also coordinates the Research Group on Educational Evaluation and Quality (Grupo de Investigación en Evaluación y Calidad Educativa). His lines of research are focused
on the evaluation of educational quality, accreditation and attention to diversity in university and non-university contexts.

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5502-1771

Luisa Losada Puente is an International PhD from the Universidad de Coruña. Interim Professor at the University of A Coruña and Member of the Research Group on Educational Evaluation and Quality (Grupo de Investigación en Evaluación y Calidad Educativa). His lines of research are focused on the evaluation of educational quality, attention to diversity and inclusive education.

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2300-9537

Citación recomendada | Recommended citation

Muñoz-Cantero, J., & Losada-Puente, L. (2019) . Validation of the construct of self-determination through the ARC-INICO scale for teenagers. Revista Española de Pedagogía, 77(272). https://www.revistadepedagogia.org/rep/vol77/iss272/15