The Psychometric Properties and Measurement Invariance of the Academic Grit Scale (AGS) in Chinese Adolescents

Abstract

The academic grit scale (AGS) is a new measure developed to assess the level of adolescents’ grit in an academic-specific context. The main purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties, factor structure, and measurement invariance of the AGS among Chinese adolescents. A cross-sectional design and convenient sampling were conducted in a sample of Chinese adolescents ( N = 619, 50.6% female, Mage = 14.56 years, SD = 1.47 years) using the AGS. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the original unidimensional model of the AGS, and multiple-group CFA further verified the AGS scores had strong measurement invariance across gender (i.e., boys and girls) and grade level (i.e., middle school students and high school students). Moreover, the AGS also showed satisfactory internal consistency (using Cronbach’s α, McDonald’s ω, and mean inter-item correlation) and criterion validity, supported by expected relationships with scores on external variables (i.e., general grit, anxiety, and depression). In conclusion, these findings suggest that the AGS has satisfactory psychometric properties and can be a reliable tool to measure the academic grit level of Chinese adolescents.