Construction and validation of the emotional development on early primary education scale (EDEPES-28)

Abstract

While it is well-known that being emotionally competent contributes to improving the well-being and academic performance of students, there are few validated Spanish instruments that can assist teachers in assessing emotional competencies in early primary education children. In this study, we present the development and validation of the Emotional Development on Early Primary Education Scale (EDEPES) for students aged between 5 and 8 years. The study included a sample of 1113 students enrolled in the first and second grades of primary education in different educational centers in Spain. A preliminary version of the questionnaire with around 41 items was distributed, along with measures of anxiety (CAS) and academic performance (average score). These measures were taken at two time points with a 6-month interval. The results supported a 4-factor model of 28 items, comprising emotional competencies of emotional awareness, emotion regulation, emotional autonomy, and social competence, along with a higher-order factor to measure overall emotional competence. The EDEPES-28 demonstrated satisfactory reliability and criterion validity, showing significant associations with anxiety and academic performance. Furthermore, the results supported the assumptions of measurement invariance, revealing gender differences in both courses, with these distinctions being more pronounced in the second course, and girls obtaining higher scores. In conclusion, the EDEPES-28 proves to be a useful and easy-to-use instrument for teachers to assess the emotional competencies of early primary education students.