Validity Evidence of the HOPE Teacher Rating Scale-Arabic Version for Identifying Gifted Refugee Students

Abstract

Exceptionally talented refugee students are often underrepresented in allocating to gifted programs because of inadequate identification methods in Arab countries. This study investigates the Arabic version of the Having Opportunities Promotes Excellence (HOPE) Scale for identifying gifted refugee students. Students ( n = 13,598) from refugee camp schools in Jordan were surveyed in the 2020/2021 academic year. Elementary, middle, and high school teachers ( n = 423) completed the translated Arabic version of the HOPE Scale, measuring 11 items on the academic and social construct of giftedness. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated an excellent fit; however, multigroup confirmatory factor analysis results revealed that the scale needed more invariance across groups. The results suggest that although the HOPE Scale-Arabic version has sufficient validation evidence, careful consideration is required when applying it to different subgroups of refugee students. Constructs of cultural relevance may need to be added to better assess the item’s validity.