Measuring the Mathematical Attitudes of Elementary Students: The Effects of a 4 Point or 5 Point Likert Type Scale
The purpose of this study was to compare how students in Grades 3 to 6 respond to a mathematics attitudes instrument with a 4 point Likert type scale compared with one with an additional neutral point (a 5 point Likert type scale) The 606 participating students from six elementary and middle schools randomly received either the 4 point or 5 point format of the Math and Me Survey. Regardless of whether a neutral midpoint was offered or not, the structure of the instrument was virtually the same, with equal intercepts, means, variances and covariances, pattern coefficients, and nearly all residuals. The 5 point scale is preferred with this population because with this format the reliability estimate for the Mathematical Self Perceptions subscale was higher (p .049) and the pattern coefficients were stronger. Additionally, this format provided less model misfit than the 4 point format. Based on these findings, the authors recommend administration of the Math and Me Survey in the 5 point format. These findings also indicate that despite what some educators and educational experts believe, children in Grades 3 to 6 are capable of discriminating among five response options and do not tend toward the neutral point more so than with a 4 point scale.