Development of the Higher Education Value Inventory: Factor Structure and Score Reliability

Abstract

Students bring to college a value system that affects their levels of academic achievement and persistence. The goal of this project was to develop a self-report inventory that measures the value students place on higher education. The Higher Education Value Inventory (HEVI) surveys students’ attitudes and behaviors in five domains: family expectations, scholastic focus, achievement value, general education value, and achievement obstacles. We describe the development of the HEVI and report the results of reliability studies and factor analyses. HEVI scores accounted for 35.9% of the variance in freshman grades. Implications for educational researchers and admissions officers are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved). (journal abstract)