Design and development of innovator self-assessment questionnaire for students in grade 6: Utilizing educational design research

Fostering innovation in Grade 6 students cultivates future skills for future success. Current tools need a comprehensive assessment of innovators in Grade 6 students. This study aims to (1) analyze and explore perspectives for designing the Innovator Self-Assessment Questionnaire for Grade 6 Students (ISQ6), (2) develop the ISQ6, and (3) evaluate and reflect on its effectiveness. Grounded in educational design research, this study highlights the need to assess innovation in Grade 6 students as school policies increasingly emphasize innovation development. The ISQ6 was developed through a collaborative effort involving multiple stakeholders and comprises 24 items aligned with theories of innovation and psychology relevant to Grade 6 students. The questionnaire significantly enhances ISQ6 scores across five key factors: connective thinking skills, observable skills, networking skills, curiosity and imagination, and creativity and divergent thinking. Validation of the ISQ6 was achieved using second-order confirmatory factor analysis, with all goodness-of-fit indices meeting accepted standards and strong Cronbach's alpha coefficients. Furthermore, the new design theory suggests that the ISQ6 possesses a robust structure and can adapt the phrasing of items to suit various educational levels. • Developed Innovator Self-Assessment Questionnaire for Students in Grade 6 (ISQ6). • Implementing educational research design (EDR) to design and develop ISQ6. • Adapt the construction of van den Akker's (1999) design principal approach to McKenney and Reeves's (2019) EDR as a more challenging theory construction in EDR. • Focus on advancing ISQ6 development methodology through the theory adaptation of EDR in students in grade 6. • Provided new theory construction into ISQ6's application in innovator classroom challenges.