Abstract:
The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate which bullying rating scale, between the Likert Scale (LS) and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), is more appropriate for Grade 4 learners. Although literature verifies the reliability of these two rating scales used to measure bullying in young children, the validity and the suitability of these instruments for young learners has not been extensively explored in the South African context. The concern with bullying in this study has to do with the need for the accurate assessment/measurement of bullying, since a proper understanding of bullying depends on the accuracy of the instrument used. Against this backdrop, this study employed a survey design, rooted in a post-positivist conceptualisation of bullying, using a bullying questionnaire. The study’s questionnaire consisted of both LS and VAS response options, and was used to measure both the bully and the victims’ response option preferences (LS versus VAS), in addition to assessing the reliability and validity of both response options. A class of Grade 4 learners from one Model C school formed part of the survey and those who were willing to participate completed the Learner Bullying Questionnaire (LBQ). The school was selected using a purposive, non-probability sampling method based on the geographical area, the in addition to the incidence of bullying and diversity of the school population. The quantitative data obtained from the survey design questionnaires were analysed statistically using descriptive statistics as well as the Spearman correlation coefficient to determine the correlation between the VAS and LS responses for each question presented. Using the Wilcoxon tes, the differences between the two response options were determined (i.e. the variances in the preference scores and difficulty scores of the Grade 4 learners for the two response options). The results of the LBQ show no significant difference of scale preference for the Grade 4 learners. However, the learners - in the six scale preference questions included near the end of the LBQ - indicated that they preferred the VAS over the LS.
