Item Validity and Reliability in Building Insaniah Value for Selected At-Risk Youth Groups in Malaysia

Abstract

The paper aims to test the validity and reliability of the Insaniah Value dimensions and items that measure the merits of good conduct for selected groups of at-risk youths in Malaysia. Quantitatively, this survey is pilot tested on a sample involving 30 school students. The model was extracted from the directory list of students with disciplinary issues where simple random sampling was used. This paper uses PLS-SEM analysis to test the validity and reliability of the items. The measurement model offers composite reliability values between 0.855 to 0.962. In this paper, Soft Skills contributed to the highest composite reliability value of 0.962, while piritual Discipline scored the lowest value of 0.855. The important highlights are the focus on the dimensions of Insaniah Value by formulating Islamic character-building elements based on Al-Ghazali (2017a, 2017b); Al-Ghazali (2015). The Insaniah Value items recommend values and quality skills mastery among at-risk youth and offer some cure for moral decay and crisis. In particular, the paper is relevant to government agencies and policymakers in strengthening talent development, such as the Malaysian Education Blueprint (under the Ministry of Education, 2015), early childhood development policy (under the Ministry of Women and Family Development), and human development policy (under the Ministry of Human Resources). The literature evidence from this paper offers the policymakers to establish comprehensive guidelines and monitoring assessments on Insaniah's Values and as a model to guide students, schools, teachers, and parents.