Psychometric assessment of the Persian translation of the School Counselor Noncognitive Skills Scale using Iranian high-school students

Assessing students' perceptions of the services provided by school counselors is crucial in promoting these services. However, there is no reliable scale for this assessment in the Persian language to date. Thus, this study aimed to translate and validate the School Counselor Noncognitive Skills Scale (SCNSS) among Iranian high school students. The English version of the SCNSS was translated into Persian, and its content and face validity were confirmed through cognitive interviews and expert evaluations. Using a convenience sampling method, data were collected from 308 high school students across three educational districts in Sanandaj, Iran. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the three-factor structure of the SCNSS, demonstrating good model fit. Measurement invariance analysis indicated consistency across genders. The internal consistency of the scale was high, with Cronbach's alpha coefficients exceeding .86 for all subscales. Convergent validity was established through significant correlations with the School Belonging Scale (SBS). Additionally, a positive correlation was found between the number of counseling sessions attended and students' perceptions of their counselors' noncognitive skills. These findings suggest that the Persian version of the SCNSS is a valid and reliable tool for assessing the impact of school counselors on the development of noncognitive skills among Iranian students.