Development and Pilot Evaluation of a Chemistry Capital Questionnaire: Factor Structure and Internal Consistency

Abstract This study describes the development and evaluation of the Chemistry Capital (ChemCap) Questionnaire, an instrument designed to measure domain-specific social and cultural resources in chemistry education. Drawing on the broader science capital framework, chemistry capital explores how students’ resources, dispositions, and social networks specifically influence their relationship with chemistry. A pilot study was conducted with 352 lower and upper secondary school students in Sarajevo Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) supported a nine-factor model, identifying distinct dimensions for general extrinsic motivation and teacher-supported extrinsic motivation. The final 62-item version demonstrated strong internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranging from .793 to .959 across all subscales (self-concepts, individual strategies, motivation, parental/guardian attitudes, family support, and teacher support). These findings provide evidence of the ChemCap Questionnaire’s validity and consistency as a tool for understanding educational inequalities and measuring chemistry capital, setting the stage for subsequent confirmatory testing.