Development and Validation of a Measure of Parents' Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration When Involved in Their Child's Schooling.

Abstract

This study evaluated the psychometric qualities of the adaptation of the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (BPNSFS) to the context of parents' school involvement (PSI). The BPNSFS-PSI assesses the satisfaction and frustration of parents' needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness when involved in their child's schooling. Two samples of parents whose child attended primary school in Grades 1 to 6 (Sample 1; N = 1,017, 63% mothers) or in Grades 1 and 2 (Sample 2; N = 1,448; 74% mothers), filled out an online questionnaire. The BPNSFS-PSI showed adequate internal consistency, structural validity via a bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling measurement model, and construct validity via correlations with parents' vitality and satisfaction with their family life. Measurement invariance was supported across samples, parent gender, and child school cycle. Together, these findings demonstrate the reliability and validity of the BPNSFS-PSI in both mothers and fathers, supporting its use for measuring parents' needs in the context of their school involvement. The development and validation of this scale will encourage further research by providing a reliable tool to assess parents' satisfaction and frustration with their basic psychological needs in school involvement.