title: Combining reliability coefficients: toward reliability generalization of the conceptions of mathematics questionnaire.
abstract: The combined coefficient alpha from studies reporting the reliability of scores using the Conceptions of Mathematics Questionnaire were computed. Five studies comprising 898 participants were evaluated. A test of differences among the independent coefficients alpha was statistically significant (chi42= 10.38, p = .04) for the Fragmented and (chi42 = 11.58, p = .02) for the Cohesive subscales. Post hoc comparisons showed the difference (F129,299 = 1.50, p=.003) was between Australia and Nigeria for the former and (F155,157 = 1.54, p= .004) between South Africa and the United States for the latter alpha values. A one-way analysis of variance, testing for homogeneity among means within each subscale, indicated that these were homogeneous because the measure of the strength of association accounted for 10% of variability. As reliability coefficients were from homogeneous samples and alpha values were not different, the combined reliability is the best estimate of the population reliability for each subscale.
authors.affiliation: CIMSTE, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, P.O. Box 392, UNISA, 0003, Gauteng, South Africa. mjia@unisa.ac.za
authors.forename: Andile
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mji
authors.forename: Haitham M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Alkhateeb
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D005793:Generalization, Psychological; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D009549:Nigeria; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013019:South Africa; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States