Assessing a second-order quality of school life construct using partial least squares structural equation modelling approach

ABSTRACT

This study aims to assess the quality of school life as a second-order formative construct and provide empirical evidence for its measurement model. Data were collected from 1459 Malaysian Grade Five pupils. A partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) approach was used for data analysis. Findings supported that six reflective first-order constructs except negative affect formatively contributed to the conceptual meaning of a second-order formative quality of school life construct based on the results of redundancy analysis, significant weights and loadings, and variance inflation factor values. Findings implied that positive psychology researchers should consider using advanced statistical approach such as the prominent two-stage approach in the context of PLS-SEM when assessing a higher-order construct. This study contributes to the advancement of measurement model specification and assessment of quality of school life in the positive psychology literature. Implication and future studies are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Measurement model
• partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM)
• positive psychology
• quality of school life
• second-order construct

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

ORCID

Lei Mee Thien http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8626-9825

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Universiti Sains Malaysia [grant number Short Term Grant (304/PGURU/6315046)].