Assessment & Evaluation Chair: Dockrat S 08:00

Dimensionality analysis indicated that commitment and control are unidimensional, corroborating factorial validity, THURSDAY, 5 SEPTEMBER 2019 but challenge yielded 2 factors, not supporting factorial validity. Moderate correlations ranging between .511 and Paper Presentations: Assessment & Evaluation .650 corroborated discriminant validity. Factor analysis Chair: Dockrat S using orthogonal varimax rotation with all 18 items yielded 08:00 – 09:00 4 instead of 3 factors, explaining 54.7% of total variance, failing to corroborate construct validity. Further principal Foxcroft C. Culturally meaningful psychological axis factoring with Oblimin rotation on all 18 items also assessment: Where are we along the road? produced a 4-factor solution with 2 cross-loadings, 3 factor loadings less than .5, with more than 70% of the items This paper will critically reflect on the extent to which loading onto one factor and not corroborating convergent progress is being made in South Africa towards more and discriminant validity. culturally-relevant and meaningful assessment measures and Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that although practices. To achieve this, reflections on progress related to the reliability of the MHS seems acceptable, its validity the following will be touched on: (a) developing a shared seems questionable in the South African military context. understanding of how to combine African-centred and Using this instrument should be done with caution. Western-oriented approaches to test development and use, Correspondence: Oscar Mthembu, PhD, Military Academy, and (b) progress made in terms of developing African- Private bag X 02, Frans Erasmus Drive, Saldanha Bay, centred measures and adapting Western-oriented measures South Africa. [email protected] for the SA context. The paper will conclude with a roadmap for the next part of the journey. In unpacking the roadmap, Dockrat S & Opperman I. Qualification choice in higher attention will be given to aspects to consider and inspirations education: a case study using a measurement model that can be drawn on when developing and adapting measures, norm group delineation considerations, Higher education qualification choice is influenced by "standardising" qualitative assessment numerous variables informing decision-making processes. measures/approaches, as well as the need for researching Motivational influences, like parent and teacher interactions, measures, capacity building in test development and information sourcing and world of work perceptions are adaptation, and how to foster ethical assessment practices essential. Various decision-making models have been and address assessment misuse. Correspondence: Cheryl devised, including exploration, social cognitive analysis, Foxcroft, DPhil, Nelson Mandela University, 91 Albert interest theories and person-environment fits. These are not Road, Walmer, 6070, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. necessarily representative in an African context. At the [email protected] institution of study, under 50% of students entering the Management Faculty remained in the initial qualification for Mthembu O, Masole L & Luzipho P. Validating military which they enrolled. The study utilised a quasi-psychometric hardiness scale on South African national university assessment measurement model to test congruence between military personnel and students motivational and decision-making items in career choice functions for Management Faculty students at a University Background: The validity and transportability of Western- of Technology. The findings suggested that passion and developed measures to South African context is an ever- future career plans were primary motivators while present challenge. Dolan and Adler (2006)’s Military parental/teacher influences were also important. Students Hardiness Scale (MHS) consists of commitment, challenge claimed to follow structured decision-making process. The and control dimensions and is one such measure. media/internet were the primary information points rather Design: A quantitative study was used to gather data from a than career guidance and information days. Potentially sample of 120 military practitioners obtained by a idealised perceptions of the workplace, career path and self- convenience sampling technique. The sample comprised efficacy appeared to be guided by information from the 36% females and 64% males, 60% Blacks and 34% media/internet, which were not necessarily an accurate Coloureds and the majority (48%) were between the ages of source. The need for financial advancement was important 25 and 34 years (48%). Reliability and exploratory factor and affected the final decision. Resultantly, structured analyses were conducted on the MHS with SPSS. decision-making and information gathering may not be Results: All 3 subscales were found to have acceptable conclusive factors in the selection process. Correspondence: reliabilities with Cronbach alphas ranging from .771 to .891. Shafeeka Dockrat, Tshwane University of Technology, contexts. It has been argued that the collectivist dimension Pretoria, South Africa. [email protected] in particular is not captured in the FFM. This study presents results from the South African context using both literature review as well as empirical evidence based on data collected Keynote Address: Assessment Imaginaries: The in the Gauteng, Limpopo and Eastern Cape regions of the role of psychological assessment in the 4IR country on community samples. The results speak to the Chair: Dockrat S universal expression of some personality factors like Presenter: Sumaya Laher Neuroticism and Conscientiousness but also indicate the 09:00 – 09:40 possibility for culturally specific expressions of other factors like Agreeableness. The expression of Openness to Laher S. Assessment Imaginaries: The role of Experience in this context is discussed. These findings are psychological assessment in the 4IR discussed within the continued debates on the universal applicability of the FFM. Correspondence: Sumaya Laher, The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) brings increases PhD, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South access to technology, connectivity and introduces artificial Africa. [email protected] intelligence. There are both constraints and affordances offered by these developments for various sectors including Opperman I. The Learning and Study Strategies health and education. These changes will impact ways of Inventory in the South African higher education context: thinking and relating in an environment with consistent a comparison of ratings and structure to the USA norm threats to sustainability. However, the social consequences group of the the impact on leadership, economic development, poverty and inequality remains contested. An opportunity to The Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) is a think creatively and critically about the role of psychological measure of critical study skills applicable to higher assessment in Africa’s 4IR exists within this space. This education success. The instrument measures self- paper will provide a brief snapshot of psychological perceptions of levels of Anxiety, Attitude, Concentration, assessment in its current form in South Africa. Drawing on Information Processing, Motivation, Selecting Main Ideas, current developments in the field as well as predicted Self-testing, Test Strategies, Time Management, and Using environments in the 4IR the paper will reflect on where Academic Resources. These are hypothesised to fall into psychological assessment policy, research and practice three factors: Skill, Will, and Self-regulation. Successful should be going to best service the future African studies regarding internal consistency, predictive validity, imaginaries. The paper will argue for an iterative and intervention support have been conducted in the United relationship between psychological assessment and the 4IR. States of America. However, comparative research in South In so doing the paper presents a vision where traditional Africa is lacking, despite use of the instrument worldwide. forms of assessment evolve in line with technological The present study examined the raw scores of the USA norm developments and provides some evidence to demonstrate group with a cohort of 5924 South African University of how this could aid in addressing challenges in the African Technology first-year students tested at the beginning of the context. Correspondence: Sumaya Laher, PhD, University of academic year. Single-sample t-tests calibrated to the norm the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, 2050, group raw scores revealed significantly higher (p < .001) Johannesburg, South Africa. [email protected] ratings by the South African sample on all scales. An exploratory factor analysis resulted in two emergent factors Paper Presentations: Assessment & Evaluation which did not support the hypothesised three-factor Chair: Maree J structure. A force to three factors also failed to confirm the 10:30 – 11:50 divisions. Although students may have overrated self- efficacy, aspects such as power relations, fear of removal Laher S, Takalani J & August J. The Five Factor Model from the institution, and inadequate levels of understanding in the South African context: Recommendations for may have affected the findings. Correspondence: Ingrid expansion Opperman, PhD Psychology, Tshwane University of The universality of the Five-Factor Model (FFM) of Technology, 19 Sunset Drive, Elandsdrift, Mogale City, personality

Load more