Scale for Rating Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Students: An Investigation of Factor Structure

Abstract

Teacher selection of gifted children is a frequently used but inadequately evaluated identification method, often appreciated for its apparent relevance to children's educational functioning but criticized for its ineffectiveness in identifying the gifted. As an attempt to improve teachers' identification of giftedness, more objective and empirical instruments such as the Scale for Rating Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Children (SRBCSS) (Renzulli, Hartman, & Callahan, 1971) have been developed. The purpose of this investigation was to explore the factor-analytic structure of the SRBCSS to determine whether the factors found are similar to the behavioral dimensions (i.e., Learning, Motivation, Creativity, and Leadership) that the SRBCSS purports to assess. The results suggest that there are 5 dimensions being assessed by the SRBCSS. The significance of these results, descriptions of each factor, and recommended research are discussed.

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