Attitudinal factors
PASS Factors
The original research (Williams, Whitthome & Watts, 2005) helped to determine the factor definitions that are present within our PASS reports. These definitions have been checked against test items for word match/accuracy. Please use the definitions below to help guide customer-facing conversations.
PASS 1
| Factor 1 - Feelings about school | Measuring students' sense of well-being, safety and comfort in school. |
| Factor 2 - Preparedness for learning | Measures pupils' views of how positive and successful they feel in their specific capabilities as learners. |
| Factor 3 - Learner self-worth | Measures how positive and confident children feel about themselves as learners. It includes perseverance or stickability and enjoyment of learning. |
| Factor 4 - Response to learning | Measures pupils' perceptions of the appropriateness of the level of difficulty of work they are asked to complete. |
PASS 2-4
| Factor 1 - Feelings about school | Measuring students' sense of well-being, safety and comfort in school. |
| Factor 2 - Perceived learning capability | Measures students' views of how positive and successful they feel in their specific capabilities as learners. |
| Factor 3 - Self-regard as a learner | Measures the impact of their learning on their concept of self more generally. |
| Factor 4 - Preparedness for learning | Measures students' perceptions of their behaviour and attitude in learning situations (including metacognitive skills). |
| Factor 5 - Attitudes to teachers | Measures students' perceptions of their relationships with teachers. |
| Factor 6 - General work ethic | Measures students' attitudes and responses to work in general. |
| Factor 7 - Confidence in learning | Measures students' confidence in approaching and dealing with learning and perseverance when presented with challenging tasks, and includes associated feelings such as a 'high' anxiety element. |
| Factor 8 - Attitudes to attendance | Measures students' attitudes to attendance at school. |
| Factor 9 - Response to curriculum demands | Measures students' perceptions of the appropriateness of the level of difficulty of work they are asked to complete. |
PASS Groupings
Williams, Whitthome & Watts make reference to engagement, attainment, attitude, drive and strategy when discussing the potential to 'group' PASS factors but no single approach was formally adopted. Conversations with customers should help to guide them to the factors most suited to the priorities for their setting determined by the ethos and the sensibilities of the school and its wider community.
Grouping of factors can be more flexible (than PASS factor definitions), however, perhaps the most helpful suggestion might be:
| PASS 1 | PASS 2-4 | |
| *Internal (related to pupil) | F3 | F2 / F3 / F7 |
| **Interface (related to pupil and/or school) | F2 / F4 | F4 / F9 |
| ***External (related to school) | F1 | F1 / F5 / F6 / F8 |
Where *internal refers to those factors that are more related to the child as an individual or their approach to learning governed by factors outside of the educational and environment and ***external refers to those factors which are more external to the child but lie within the domain of change for the educational setting. **Interface refers to factors that lie between these two categories.