Examination of the Psychometric Properties of the Knowledge of Aging for Social Work Quiz

Abstract

Using graduate social work students' data (n = 481) in the Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education (HPPAE) in the United States, the study examined psychometric properties of the Knowledge of Aging for Social Work Quiz (KASW), a revision of the Facts on Aging Quiz, to evaluate biopsychosocial knowledge relevant to social work. We examined the intercorrelations of the KASW with the academic and practice experience in aging and score differences by the specialization and school year, and estimated the internal consistencies as reliability. Results showed the convergent validity of the KASW, indicating the items measured theoretically related areas of content with students' skills and experiences in aging. The internal consistencies, nevertheless, remained relatively low, representing the items that failed to measure the expected constructs of biopsychosocial domains. The KASW will be further refined to more sensitively identify students' knowledge deficiencies by selecting an optimal panel of items in biopsychosocial content areas and by providing information relevant to the pedagogical agenda and guidance in field education.

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Social Work Leadership Institute at The New York Academy of Medicine. An earlier version of this article was presented at the at the 60th Annual Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, San Francisco, CA, November 19, 2007. We would like to thank Dr. Linda Weiss and the Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education Committee, as well as Drs. Todd Franke and Ming Lee at the University of California, Los Angeles, for their consultations and critical comments on earlier versions of this article.

Notes

Notes. ^a African American (8.2%), Asian American/Pacific Islander (3.0%), Hispanic/Latino (3.9%), Native American (1.5%). ^b Students were instructed to check all that apply.

Note. ^a Nonpaid, excluding field placements.