ABSTRACT This study aimed to develop and validate a self‐efficacy and affect questionnaire focused on upper‐elementary students' reading and spelling of multisyllabic words. The research addresses a gap in understanding students' self‐efficacy, affect, and avoidance behaviors related to decoding and spelling complex words. Participants included 395 students in grades 3–5 from rural Title I schools in the southeastern United States. Students completed a 34‐item questionnaire assessing self‐efficacy, affect, avoidance, and self‐regulation, followed by standardized reading subtests (CAPTI/Read Basix). The sample was randomly split, and an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and a follow‐up confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted. Results supported a four‐factor structure including self‐efficacy for processes/tasks, affect, self‐efficacy for self‐regulation, and avoidance. Regression analyses indicated that factor scores were positively associated with reading ability and with standardized reading subtest scores. The findings highlight the questionnaire's reliability and validity, offering practical implications for educators to assess and address students' motivational and cognitive needs in reading instruction. Implications for research and practice are further discussed.
Philippakos et al. (Wed,) studied this question.