49 - Iterative Development of a Public Speaking Self-Efficacy Measurement Tool: Insights from 4-H Youth Development Program

Abstract Information: Studies show that lack of confidence and fear of public speaking are the most common reasons for speaking anxiety. Strengthening confidence in public speaking is key to building skills, and it also addresses public speaking anxiety. Public speaking skills can be explored using the concept of public speaking self-efficacy (Bandura, 2010), which refers to an individual’s belief in their skills and ability to perform. We recognize that Extension can play a key role in workforce development through the 4-H youth development program by preparing the next generation to be successful communicators. Although 4-H Youth Development Programs have developed rubrics to assess youths’ presentation skills, we identified a need for a validated public speaking self-efficacy (PSSE) measuring instrument for Extension program planners and evaluators. Aligned with this year’s conference theme, this poster presentation will focus on an iterative process we employed to develop a validated instrument and a strategy adopted to share it with public speaking event/program planners/evaluators who are new to evaluation or conducting evaluations of their public speaking programs for the first time. Across four iterative stages, we refined our tool for assessing PSSE and its sources. Initially, in Iteration-1, our tool comprised 10 items evaluating PSSE and 12 items gauging four sources of PSSE, including Mastery Experience (ME), Vicarious Experience (VE), Social Persuasion (SP), and Affective State (AS), utilizing a five-point Likert scale. Subsequently, in Iteration-2, while retaining the PSSE items, we streamlined the sources to focus solely on Mastery Experience, supplementing it with a new set of 5 items. Building on this, Iteration-3 marked a substantial overhaul, expanding the tool to 13 items for PSSE, (subdivided into 1 item for overall ability; 3 items for content; 4 items for structure; and 5 items for mechanics) and 16 items for the sources. Through data collection and exploratory factor analysis, we validated the construct validity of both PSSE and its sources. Finally, in Iteration-4, guided by test outcomes, we finalized a version comprising 12 items for PSSE and an additional 12 items for the four sources, with three items per source such as ME, VE, SP, and AS. These iterative refinements ensured the robustness and applicability of our instrument for assessing youth Public Speaking Self-Efficacy and its contributing factors. Public speaking program planners were provided access to the tool, and 168 youth completed the survey. Respondents with zero variance were excluded from the analysis to minimize the effect of straight-lining responses. The instrument validation process included scale reliability tests and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). For the PSSE sources, the CFA results showed that a full model with all four PSSE sources was adequately fit with the Comparative Fit Index. 4-H youth development programs offer avenues for youth to improve their public speaking abilities. The availability of a concise, validated, and dependable tool for assessing progress would enhance program refinement, reflective practice, and skill development efforts. We encourage Extension professionals and those involved in youth development programs to consider utilizing the Youth Public Speaking Self-Efficacy tool for their programs.