Constructing a Scale of Historical Identity Among University of Mosul Students

Abstract

This study aims to construct a scientific scale to measure historical identity among students of the University of Mosul from the perspective of educational psychology and psychometrics. Historical identity is considered a fundamental component in shaping university students’ personalities and enhancing their cultural awareness and sense of belonging. The study is motivated by the noticeable variation in students’ awareness of their historical and civilizational heritage amid rapid cultural changes, as well as the absence of a standardized Arabic instrument to measure this construct in the university context.
A descriptive psychometric approach was adopted. The sample consisted of 400 university students. The scale was developed through systematic steps including defining the theoretical dimensions, item construction, expert validation, pilot testing, and statistical analysis. The final form of the scale comprised 38 items distributed across five dimensions: historical awareness, pride in heritage, sense of civilizational continuity, historical belonging, and emotional engagement with history.
The results indicated that the scale possesses strong psychometric properties. Item–total correlations ranged between 0.32 and 0.67. Test–retest reliability reached 0.82, and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.87. The scale also demonstrated high discriminative power. Findings further revealed that students’ level of historical identity was moderate to high, with noticeable variation across dimensions, favoring pride in heritage.
The study recommends adopting the scale in future educational and psychological research and utilizing it in designing educational and counseling programs aimed at enhancing historical awareness and cultural belonging among university students.