The student engagement scale: evidence of psychometric validity in Chinese and English language subjects from grade 4 to grade 6 in China

The three-dimensional (i.e. affective, behavioural, and cognitive) conceptualisation of student engagement has been the prevalent framework for understanding student engagement, but most existing research has focussed on general, rather than subject-specific, student engagement. The present study tested the psychometric properties of a measure of student engagement for two language-relevant subject areas (Chinese and English) developed from general student engagement measures using a structural equation modelling approach. The sample consisted of 778 students (M = 10.43 years, SD = 0.99) from grades 4 to 6 in Shanghai, China. This study adapted the general student engagement scales to develop measures of student engagement in the subject areas of Chinese and English language for Chinese students within the three-dimensional engagement framework. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the three-factor model, showing adequate fit for each subject area. In addition, the model showed configural, metric, and scalar invariance across both gender and grade groups. There were also some latent mean differences in the subject-specific student engagement constructs between gender and age groups. These results indicate that the student engagement measure for the two subject areas has acceptable psychometric properties.