Educational psychologists' views on the value of the Senior South African Individual Scale Revised

Abstract

The purpose of this exploratory case study was to explore and describe two educational psychologists' views on the value of the Senior South African Individual Scale - Revised (SSAIS-R) for their clients. The conceptual framework supporting this study was guided by a psychometric approach to intelligence and included concepts of validity, reliability and fairness. These concepts provided insight into the meaningfulness, appropriateness and usefulness of the SSAIS-R. The participants were purposively selected, and the data were generated by means of semi-structured interviews and field notes. An interpretivist paradigm guided this qualitative study. The findings suggest that the participants have mixed views on the value of the SSAIS-R. While the participants believe that the SSAIS-R has value as a cognitive measure, as it provides the necessary clinical information, the participants expressed concerns about the outdatedness of the test. The participants referenced certain pictures and vocabulary items found in the Missing Parts and Vocabulary subtests which they believe are irrelevant for children in the 21st century. The participants are of the view that if the SSAIS-R was to follow international standards in terms of regularly updating tests, the SSAIS-R’s relevance and value could be enhanced. Despite their concerns about the outdatedness of the SSAIS-R, the participants believe that the SSAIS-R is fairer and more accessible for many of their clients in terms of content and language compared to international tests. Furthermore, the participants discussed the affordability and the shorter administration time of the SSAIS-R as two notable benefits for practitioners.