ABSTRACT
There is a dearth of research on the evaluation of the psychometric performance of instruments designed to measure students’ generalist-level social work competencies. There is also uncertainty on the performance of various response option formats used to measure students’ competencies in assessment instruments. Using a sample of 198 master of social work students and 198 field instructors, the current study employs confirmatory factor analysis to assess the psychometric performance of a field evaluation instrument designed to measure students’ generalist-level social work competencies. The results provide evidence to support the validity and reliability of the instrument. The results also highlight nuances associated with a 5-point response option format for items used to measure competency indicators. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Todd M. Jensen
Todd M. Jensen is research associate,
Rebecca B. Brigham
Rebecca B. Brigham is clinical associate professor, and
Larry J. Rosenfeld
Larry J. Rosenfeld is applications analyst in the School of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.