Using the domain-specific beliefs questionnaire with adolescents enrolled in high-poverty, high-minority schools: Examining psychometric properties

Recent interest in epistemic beliefs has given way to a proliferation of new measures. Yet, little is known about the psychometric properties of various measures when used with diverse populations. In this study, the authors explored the psychometric properties of a measure of existing epistemic beliefs, the Domain-Specific Belief Questionnaire (DSBQ; M. M. Buehl, P. A. Alexander, & P. K. Murphy, 2002), for a diverse population of students. The authors applied the DSBQ's 4-factor model, which researchers have previously identified and confirmed, to data from 8th- and 9th-grade adolescents attending high-poverty, high-minority schools. Evidence suggested that the 4-factor model was not appropriate for this population. Subsequent analyses revealed a 2-factor model for 8th-grade students and a 3-factor model for 9th-grade students. This study underscores the importance of examining the appropriateness of using existing measures with diverse populations.