| Author: | Yang, Li-chien Hellen |
| Title: | Validity and reliability of Tseng handwriting problem checklist for assessing the legibility of Chinese handwriting of kindergarten children in HongKong |
| Degree: | M.Sc. |
| Year: | 2001 |
| Subject: | Children -- Writing Chinese language -- Writing -- Ability testing -- China -- Hong Kong Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | Multi-disciplinary Studies Department of Rehabilitation Sciences |
| Pages: | ix, 108 leaves ; 30 cm |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | The purpose of this study is to determine the content validity, inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliability of using Tseng Handwriting Problem Checklist (THPC) in assessing the legibility of Chinese handwriting of kindergarten children in Hong Kong. This study was conducted in three phases. In phase one, two sets of Chinese characters with different levels of difficulty, were selected for Chinese handwriting assessment through a systematic approach. In phase two, the content validity of the THPC was examined by an expert panel of five occupational therapists and three kindergarten teachers. They were asked to rate the relevancy and representativeness of 15 items as well as scoring method. With the exception of the sequencing composite, all items were judged to be relevant to the assessment of legibility. The panel also agreed that the items were comprehensive but suggested an alternative scoring method. The modified method scored the number of character correctly copied instead of using the scale scores converting from the percentage of error. Comparisons of the reliabilities of these two methods were performed in phase three. Phase three of the study examined the inter-rater and test-retest reliabilities of the THPC with the scoring criteria modified. Thirty-six children, studying in upper lower kindergarten classes, were randomly selected through cluster sampling. The children were requested to copy 20 Chinese characters that were selected in phase one. The process was video recorded and the writing samples were collected for rating. The same procedure was repeated on the same group of children in two week to examine test-retest reliability. The ICC for inter-rater reliability of the construction composite, accuracy composite, directionality composite and sequencing composite were: .25, .61, .62 and .25 respectively when using the original method; .69, .80, .83 and .60 respectively when using the modified method. The reliability coefficients of individual items, which ranged from .12 to .73, were generally lower than composite scores. The accuracy and directionality composites demonstrated good consistency among raters but that of construction and sequencing composites were just moderate. The ICC for test-retest reliability for construction composite, accuracy composite, directionality composite and sequencing composite were: .48, .35, .65 and .46 respectively when using the original method; 82, .77, .99 and .62 when adopting the modified method. The test-retest reliability of individual items ranging from .33 to .96. The former three composite scores were more stable than the sequencing score. The results revealed that the modified scoring method demonstrated higher inter-rater and test-retest reliabilities, it implied that we should interpret the children's performance by using composite scores rather than item scores. The subjectivity of readability, unclear item definition and the low variability in the participants' performance might contribute to the low consistency. Therefore, the inter-rater reliability should be further studied on both children with and without handwriting deficit. Besides, the item description should be defined clearer to improve the reliability. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| b15690994.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 3.33 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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