The Use of Cronbach's Alpha When Developing and Reporting Research Instruments in Science Education
The Use of Cronbach's Alpha When Developing and Reporting Research Instruments in Science Education
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DOI：
10.1007/s11165-016-9602-2
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发表时间：
2018-12-01
影响因子：
2.3
通讯作者：
Taber, Keith S.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Taber, Keith S.
Cronbach's alpha是作者经常引用的一个统计数据，用于证明为研究项目构建或采用的测试和量表符合目的。克朗巴赫的α经常被科学教育研究采用：在一年（2015年）内，在4种主要科学教育期刊上发表的69篇不同论文中提到了它，通常作为可靠性的衡量标准。本文探讨了这一统计数据是如何用于报告科学教育研究的，以及它所代表的意义。作者经常引用α值，但很少有评论来解释为什么他们觉得这个统计数据是相关的，并且很少为读者解释结果，除了引用一个可接受值的任意阈值。那些为读者提供定性描述符来解释alpha值的作者采用了一个多样化的、看似武断的术语。更严重的是，科学教育文献中的例证表明，即使在相关量表存在公认的问题时，α也是可以接受的。Alpha有时也被不恰当地用于声称一个工具是一维的。有人认为，高α值提供了有限的证据的可靠性，一个研究工具，并认为确实非常高的值可能实际上是不可取的，当开发一个测试的科学知识或理解。为报告Cronbach α统计量作为工具质量证据的作者和评价研究的读者提供指导。
Cronbach's alpha is a statistic commonly quoted by authors to demonstrate that tests and scales that have been constructed or adopted for research projects are fit for purpose. Cronbach's alpha is regularly adopted in studies in science education: it was referred to in 69 different papers published in 4 leading science education journals in a single year (2015)usually as a measure of reliability. This article explores how this statistic is used in reporting science education research and what it represents. Authors often cite alpha values with little commentary to explain why they feel this statistic is relevant and seldom interpret the result for readers beyond citing an arbitrary threshold for an acceptable value. Those authors who do offer readers qualitative descriptors interpreting alpha values adopt a diverse and seemingly arbitrary terminology. More seriously, illustrative examples from the science education literature demonstrate that alpha may be acceptable even when there are recognised problems with the scales concerned. Alpha is also sometimes inappropriately used to claim an instrument is unidimensional. It is argued that a high value of alpha offers limited evidence of the reliability of a research instrument, and that indeed a very high value may actually be undesirable when developing a test of scientific knowledge or understanding. Guidance is offered to authors reporting, and readers evaluating, studies that present Cronbach's alpha statistic as evidence of instrument quality.