The SSES-A: development and validation of a tool for adolescent self-efficacy in 21st-century skills

This study introduces the Skills Self-Efficacy Scale for Adolescents (SSES-A), a validated tool to measure students’ self-efficacy in five vital 21st-century competencies: problem-solving, communication, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. It addresses a critical gap in educational assessment, where traditional approaches have yet to fully integrate and explore these transversal skills within adolescent populations. These competencies are universally recognized pillars essential to thriving in today’s knowledge-rich, globalized society. The SSES-A empowers educators, curriculum designers, and policymakers with a dependable tool to evaluate and gather insights into students’ strengths and weaknesses, guiding targeted improvements to assist in preparing them for diverse global and professional contexts. The dataset comprises responses from 385 high school students across four Connecticut public schools for the deployment validation sample, supplemented by qualitative data from focus groups (23 students), industry professional surveys (30 participants), expert reviews (35 professionals), and cognitive pretesting (40 high school students). The final 21-item scale, refined through rigorous exploratory factor analysis, exhibits robust psychometric properties with a five-factor structure aligned with the targeted skill domains, excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.935), and strong content validity (S-CVI = 0.921). This comprehensive dataset enables researchers and educators to profile adolescents’ self-efficacy across key competencies, identify intervention needs, and inform educational strategies that foster academic and professional success. The SSES-A offers a psychometrically sound instrument to assess adolescents’ self-efficacy in essential 21st-century skills.