The development and standardisation of a new interest questionnaire
Date
1998
Authors
Meyer J.C.
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Abstract
In this article the development and standardisation of a new interest questionnaire in the Western Cape is described. The aim was to establish a simple, cost and time-effective ipsative questionnaire suitable for general use among high school pupils and students in South Africa. In an extensive pilot study a shortened Kodus Interest Questionnaire was considered. However, although the same type of model and format was followed, the dynamics of the world of work and the fact that the new questionnaire was to be used by all race groups, necessitated the creation of new items. The questionnaire consists of ten interest fields. It was administered to 1 564 Std. 7 and Std. 9 black and white pupils in schools in the Western Cape and to 1 913 first-year students at the University of Stellenbosch. The results show strong similarities between the broad interest patterns of race and language groups of the same sex. With the exception of one or two fields in the case of black pupils, the reliability coefficients were acceptable throughout. To make it easier for black pupils to answer, as they have to do the questionnaire in their second language, a glossary has been included. Concurrent validity was investigated and found to be satisfactory. General research findings were that linguistic ability and educational level correlated positively with reliability and that large differences existed between the interest patterns of males and females, probably as a result of traditional gender role identification.
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South African Journal of Psychology
28
1
28
1