Psychometric Validation of a Two-Factor Self-Report Instrument for Science Process Skills-Related Behaviors in Indonesian High School Students
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Science process skills (SPS) are central to scientific inquiry, yet instruments designed to assess SPS-related constructs require empirical evidence that their measurement structure corresponds to their intended interpretation. In Indonesia, SPS instruments have often emphasized expert-based content validation, while evidence concerning the latent structure of self-reported SPS-related behaviors remains limited. This study developed and psychometrically evaluated a two-dimensional self-report instrument assessing senior high school students’ reported engagement in behaviors associated with Basic Science Process Skills (BSPS) and Integrated Science Process Skills (ISPS). A total of 830 tenth-grade students from East Java, Indonesia, were allocated to three independent samples: preliminary analysis (n = 166), exploratory factor analysis (EFA; n = 339), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; n = 325). The EFA data were suitable for factor analysis (KMO = 0.964; Bartlett’s χ²(595) = 7,345.301, p < .001). Parallel analysis, eigenvalue examination, scree-plot inspection, and theoretical interpretability supported a two-factor solution. Seven items were removed, yielding a 28-item instrument that explained 49.8% of the total variance. Because Mardia’s tests indicated multivariate nonnormality, CFA was estimated using robust maximum likelihood. The correlated two-factor model demonstrated acceptable fit, χ²(349) = 768.321, p < .001, CFI = 0.925, TLI = 0.919, RMSEA = 0.061, 90% CI [0.055, 0.067], and SRMR = 0.045. AVE values were 0.510 for BSPS and 0.540 for ISPS, while HTMT was 0.805. Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega ranged from 0.928 to 0.962, with composite reliability ranging from 0.979 to 0.993. The findings support two closely related yet empirically distinguishable dimensions of self-reported SPS-related behavior. The instrument should therefore be interpreted as assessing reported behavioral engagement rather than demonstrated SPS competence. Generalization beyond comparable student populations should remain cautious because participants were recruited purposively from East Java.
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