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The aim of this study was to examine if perceived family violence of victimized children is related to their perceived aggressive behavior. It has been acknowledged that children learn and behave what they observe and practice including violence. A stratified random sample (N =1160) of Omani school students was drawn from grades 6 to 9. The study used perceived family violence and perceived aggressive behavior measures to collect data. CFA was performed to test the proposed factor structure as well as the structural model. The invariance test lent support to the hypothesis that the structure of constructs is invariant across gender. However, the relations between constructs were not invariant. Children (boys and girls) who expressed high verbal violence on them reported they were more verbally and physically aggressive. Boys, but not girls, who reported high physical violence on them reported they were more verbally and physically aggressive. The relation between perceived family violence and perceived aggressive behavior seem to be dependent on gender and types of family violence as well as the kind of children's aggressive behavior.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine if the perception of teaching value and a teacher's self-efficacy (SE) are related to burnout. Previous research has shown a strong relation between teachers SE and burnout. Rarely, however, job value has been included in any of the previous studies. Method: A stratified random sample (N =2446) of Omani teachers was drawn. Three measures: Job value, Maslach burnout inventory (MBI) and the teachers' sense of efficacy scale (TSES) were used. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to test the proposed factor structure of the measures as well as the proposed structural model. Results: The invariance tests proved that the structure of constructs and the relations between constructs were invariant across gender. Job value significantly related to both SE and burnout dimensions. Consistent with predictions, SE of student engagement related to all three burnout dimensions; whereas the other two dimensions of SE didn't relate to burnout dimensions in the expected direction. Job value and SE explained significant variances in each of the burnout dimensions. Discussion and Conclusion: The results of this study highlight the importance of job value and SE of engaging students as cognitive self-regulatory mechanisms used in the stressful situations like teaching and to help control stress and burnout. Ministry of education, media and socity at large should be aware of the social status of teaching and teachers and provide more respect to the teachers and their job. Such respect would improve the morale of teachers and help them become more efficacious and less exhausted.

Rarely has the self-description questionnaire II (SDQ-II) been used with Arab samples. The Arab culture has unique characteristics that warrant investigating self-concept among individuals who are impacted by the culture. The SDQ-II has eleven factors and each is measured by 8 or 10 items. This study used a short version of the SDQ-II with an Omani sample (n = 700). The Arabic short version has nine factors with 4 items measuring each factor. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed twice: one with nine factors, and another with nine first-order factors and 2 high-order factors. The fit indices for the two models were acceptable and they were not significantly different. All of the items loaded substantially on their respective factors with mean loadings of 0.59. The correlation between the high-order factors was 0.79. All of the bivariate correlations were significant -except for two. The average of the correlations was 0.31 (range from 0.08 to 0.67), thus providing evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. The results indicate that self-concept dimensions can be used separately, and each of the high-order factors can be used as one instrument. The implications are that researchers and counselors can use the short form for research and assessment purposes.

Extensive support for the seemingly paradoxical negative effects of school- and class-average achievement on academic self-concept (ASC)-the big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE)--is based largely on secondary students in Western countries or on cross-cultural Program for International Student Assessment studies. There is little research testing the generalizability of this frame of reference effect based on social comparison theory to primary school students and or to matched samples of primary and secondary students from different countries. Using multigroup-multilevel latent variable models, we found support for developmental and cross-cultural generalizability of the BFLPE based on Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study data; positive effects of individual student achievement and the negative effects of class-average achievement on ASC were significant for each of the 26 groups (nationally representative samples of 4th- and 8th-grade students from 13 diverse countries; 117,321 students from 6,499 classes).

Introduction: Learning difficulties (LD) is a recent construct. It has been agreed that the individual who suffers from learning difficulties has a disorder in one or more of the basis psychological processes, including attention, cognition, formation of concepts, memory, problem solving, understanding or reading, speaking or writing, or computing. Method: This study was designed to test the construct (convergent and discriminate) validity of this conception of LD with exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Also, responses of normal students were compared to responses of students identified as having learning difficulty. The sample comprised 410 children from Muscat School Zone, who were rated by their teachers (30) based on the new questionnaire. The questionnaire is composed by six domains and each measures one component of difficulties. These components are difficulties in: perception, attention, memory, writing, arithmetic and reading. Results: Reliability analysis and factor analysis revealed that the measure possesses both reliability and factorial validity. Discussion and conclusion: The CFA confirmed the structure of the measure. ANOVA revealed significant differences between normal and LD children on most of the LD components, the providing further support to its construct validity.

Introduction: Optimism and pessimism are two psychological constructs that play a significant role in human mental and psychological hygiene. The two construct are strongly but negatively correlated. Optimism and pessimism can be influenced by culture and the environment. The present study attempts to test the structure of optimism and pessimism across two countries: United Arab Emirates and Oman. Also, physical education students were compared to non-physical education students. Method: College students from SQU in Oman (n = 103) and the UAEU (n = 200) participated in the study. The sample was a convenient one. The SQU sample was primarily physical education students (males = 60, females = 43). The instrument consisted of thirty Likert-type items. Optimism was measured by 15 items and so as pessimism. Results: Exploratory factor analysis clearly identified two factors rather than one bipolar factor. The number of factors (2), the pattern of factor loadings, the factor correlations and uniqueness were invariant across P.E. and non P.E samples. MANOVA revealed that P.E. subjects were more optimistic than non P.E. subjects. However, no significant difference was found in pessimism between P.E. and non P.E. subjects. Discussion and Conclusion: The results revealed that optimism and pessimism can influenced by the immediate environment as well as the type of study. It terms of structure, the instrument was as valid and reliable in Oman and UAE as it was valid and reliable in Kuwait where the instrument was originally developed and standardized. (Contains 4 tables.)

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a diagnostic measure of attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder and impulsivity. Method: The instrument was administered to normal (n=51), learning disability (LD) (n=96) and intellectually disabled (ID) (n=108) children. The instrument in its final form comprises 36 items. Results: Reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the instrument possesses good reliability and validity estimates. MANOVA revealed that intellectually disabled, learning disabled and normal children differed significantly on all of the five subscales. The pattern of difference mainly favored I.D. children then L.D. The lowest scores on all of the subscales were those of the normal children. Discussion and Conclusion: It is important that children with L.D. be differentiated from other types of disabilities. The instrument at hand is presumed to make such distinction. Namely, the instrument is a tool to identify children with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. (Contains 1 figure and 3 tables.)

To assess the reliability and validity of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) in a non-Western setting, the instrument was administered to 223 teachers in Jordan. Results indicate an acceptable reliability for the MBI and suggest that it has promise for use in non-Western countries. (SLD)

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the development and validation of a self-report structured questionnaire based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). The questionnaire was used to investigate university undergraduate students’ cognition, behavioural intent, and behaviour concerning the ethical use of information and communication technologies (ICTs).Design/methodology/approach A quantitative correlational cross-sectional approach to data collection was used by administering a self-report questionnaire to a sample of 327 undergraduate students. To establish the construct validity of the questionnaire, internal consistency reliability and factorial analyses were performed.Findings Significant but different correlations between the constructs were under study. The behavioural intention had the greatest and most significant correlation with behaviour pertaining to information ethics. Overall, the scales, which constitute the instrument, showed acceptable indices of measurement validity.Practical implications The research implications of this paper shed light on the applicability of the TPB to the specific context in which this study was conducted. The results imply that the TPB framework can be extended and employed to understand better the influence of comprehending information-ethics concepts on the intentions and practices related to the ethical use of ICTs.Originality/value The paper has methodological value for researchers who seek to develop empirical instruments for measuring the factors that bear upon the attitudes and the behaviours related to information ethics. Furthermore, the paper has pedagogical value for students, teachers, and developers of information-ethics educational programmes at the tertiary level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]