Development and Psychometric Validation of an Environmental Concern Instrument for 7th-Grade Students on Environmental Sustainability Issues Using the Rasch Model

Abstract

Environmental concern is a fundamental component of education for sustainability; however, its assessment requires instruments with adequate psychometric properties. This study aimed to develop and psychometrically validate an environmental concern instrument for 7th-grade students using the Rasch model. A cross-sectional survey was conducted involving 75 7th-grade students from a junior high school in Ponorogo, Indonesia. The instrument consisted of 21 Likert-scale items representing seven indicators: environmental care, plastic-use reduction, waste management, carbon-emission reduction, energy conservation, tree planting, and reuse of used goods. Data were analyzed using Winsteps version 5.11.2.0 to evaluate item fit, reliability, unidimensionality, and item-person targeting. Results showed that 19 of 21 items fit the Rasch model, while Q10 and Q16 were identified as misfitting. Person reliability was 0.80, item reliability was 0.89, and Cronbach's alpha was 0.82. Unidimensionality analysis showed 30.5% raw variance explained and 9.5% unexplained variance in the first contrast. The Wright Map indicated good targeting for moderate-to-high environmental concern, although a potential ceiling effect was observed. The instrument demonstrates preliminary validity and reliability, requiring further refinement and broader validation.