Development of a Self-Transcendence Scale for Secondary Students
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Abstract
Self-transcendence is a positive characteristic that enables students to overcome their limitations or further develop their capabilities. However, most existing self-transcendence scales measure only the spiritual dimension, which is inconsistent with educational contexts. This research therefore aimed to 1) develop a Self-Transcendence Scale for secondary students, and 2) examine the psychometric quality of the developed scale. This study is scale development and validation. The sample consisted of 1,200 upper secondary school students under the jurisdiction of the Secondary Educational Service Area Office, Bangkok, for the academic year 2025, selected through multistage random sampling. The research instrument was the self-transcendence scale for secondary students. Statistical analyses included content validity index analysis, internal consistency reliability estimation using the omega coefficient, and construct validity examination through two types of factor analysis, namely exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. The result of the study found that: 1) the self-transcendence scale for secondary students consisted of 13 items with a 5-point rating scale format based on a multidimensional between-items structure, comprising three factors: ego reduction, positive perspective, and prosocial purpose; and 2) the scale demonstrated content validity with item-level content validity index (I-CVI) values ranging from .750 to 1.000. When administered to the full sample (n = 900), the overall reliability coefficient was .896, with factor-level reliability ranging from .756 to .812. The exploratory factor analysis provided preliminary evidence of a three-factor structure with the theoretical framework, and the confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the measurement model fit the empirical data acceptably (2(56, n = 900) = 163.904, p < .001, CFI = .976, TLI = .966, RMSEA = .046).
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