Student Academic Support Scale

What it measures

Measures students' perceptions of the academic support available from three sources: peers (classmates, study groups), instructors (approachability, helpfulness, feedback quality), and institutions (academic services, counselling, resources). Perceived academic support is a key determinant of help-seeking behaviour, academic persistence, and wellbeing in higher education.

Response format

Likert (1–5, strongly disagree to strongly agree)

Representative items

• My classmates are willing to help me understand the course material. (Peer)
• My instructor encourages students to seek help when they need it. (Instructor)
• My instructor is approachable when I have academic questions. (Instructor)
• The university provides resources that help me succeed academically. (Institutional)
• I can find academic support services when I need them. (Institutional)

Usage notes & scoring

Three subscale scores. Score = mean per dimension. Peer support is particularly important for academic belonging and persistence among first-generation and minority students. Instructor approachability predicts help-seeking behaviour — students who perceive their instructor as approachable seek help earlier and more frequently.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Karabenick, S.A. (2004). Perceived achievement goal structure and college student help seeking. Journal of Educational Psychology, 96(3), 569–581.

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