Psychometric Study of “Questionnaire of Barriers Perceived” (QBP) in Higher Education

Abstract

This article presents the process of adaptation and validation, and the resulting psychometric properties, of the “Questionnaire of Barriers Perceived” (QBP). The scale identifies whether a student’s perceptions and expectations are mediated by stereotypes or roles associated with gender through the study of their professional aspirations, fear of negative judgement, and perceptions/awareness of gender roles of men and women. Two descriptive studies were conducted via a cross-sectional poll. The questionnaire was administered first to 240 students and then to a total of 1044 student from all the degrees studied at the Faculty of Education at the university at which the study took place. The data were subjected to item content analysis, descriptive analysis, analysis of internal consistency, study of the relationship between variables, correlational analysis, and an exploratory and confirmatory factorial analysis. The results showed that the scale had a high goodness-of-fit index, as well as validity and reliability. The dimensions that the model comprised were found to be interrelated and coherent with the theoretical structure considered in the initial version of the instrument. The resulting questionnaire presented sufficient validity and reliability to be used in other contexts and studies of the same nature.

Keywords

• instrument
• validation
• stereotype
• higher education