Cultural adaptation and validation of the water attitude scale
Insights from Hungarian student responses
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21882969 |
|---|---|
| Authors | András Béres (0009-0009-2404-3287, University of Pecs), Tamás Száraz (University of Pecs), Zsolt Hetesi (0000-0002-4250-4050, University of Pecs), Szabolcs Czigány (0000-0002-9158-3162, University of Pecs) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 74 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 371-393 |
| Publication date | 2025-12-27 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Hungarian Geographical Bulletin (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2064-5031 • E-ISSN: 2064-5147 |
| Publisher | HUN-REN Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.15201/hungeobull.74.4.3 |
| OpenAlex | W7117374326 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 66 |
Education plays a crucial role in shaping future generations. This is also the case for the formation of environmental attitudes. Hungary is a country with abundant water resources; however, fostering students with a strong water attitude is especially important for the future, even in such nations. The objective of this study was to adapt and validate the Water Attitude Scale (WAS) questionnaire for use with primary school students in Hungary. A total of 964 students from grades 5–8, enrolled in twenty schools located in Southern Transdanubia, completed the questionnaire. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the original factor structure was not an optimal fit for the data, prompting the development of a new four-factor model through exploratory factor analysis. The revised factors were: 1) The Value of Water and Responsibility, 2) Awareness and Education, 3) Water Usage at Home and in Society, and 4) Responsibility and Intervention. Analysis across grade levels revealed that fifth graders showed high initial awareness, which gradually declined in higher grades, while attitudes toward water use improved with age. Responsibility peaked in grade 6 but decreased slightly thereafter. The adapted questionnaire proved to be a reliable and valid tool for assessing water-related attitudes among Hungarian students, making it applicable for both diagnostic purposes in environmental education and as a foundation for longitudinal studies
Confirmatory factor analysis · Exploratory factor analysis · Longitudinal study · Measurement invariance · Structural equation modeling · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Environmental Education and Sustainability · Science Education and Pedagogy
Health Measurement Scales
Children's Environmental Attitude and Knowledge Scale
Using Confirmatory Factor Analysis for Construct Validation
One Size Doesn’t Fit All
A structural model of environmental attitudes and behaviour
The environmental attitudes inventory
Factor Analysis
Applying environmental attitudes of pre-service preschool teachers scale and its subscales to investigate the environmental attitudes of pre-service preschool teachers using the Rasch psychometric approach
Children’s attitudes towards water
Public knowledge on karst and protected areas
The utility and limitations of the New Ecological Paradigm scale for children
Factor Analytic Evidence for the Construct Validity of Scores
Understanding the Model Size Effect on SEM Fit Indices
Dialogical Relationship between Identity and Learning
Introduction
Examining Appropriacy of CFI and TLI Cutoff Value in Multiple-Group CFA Test of Measurement Invariance to Enhance Accuracy of Test Score Interpretation
Multidimensional Model of Environmental Attitudes
Two Criteria for Good Measurements in Research
The relationship between university students’ environmental identity, decision-making process, and behavior
Educational impact on the relationship of environmental knowledge and attitudes
Theory-based assessment in environmental education
From plants to pedagogies
A re-assessment of factors associated with environmental concern and behavior using the 2010 General Social Survey
Young people’s cognitive achievement as fostered by hands-on-centred environmental education
Fostering changes in attitude, knowledge and behavior
The development of children’s environmental attitude and behavior
The Meaning of Validity in the New Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing
A longitudinal study of domestic water conservation behavior
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |