Attitude Scale for Elementary English Course: Validity and Reliability Study

Author :  

Year-Number: 2012-Volume 4, Issue 2
Language : null
Konu : null

Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop a valid and reliable scale for examining elementary school students’ attitudes towards English lesson. For this purpose, a Likert type scale with five degrees titled “English Course Attitude Scale” was developed. While developing the scale, related literature was searched, students’ opinions were asked and experts’ ideas were benefited. The final scale composed of 35 items were applied to the 428 students of 20 elementary schools who are educated in Nigde in the spring term of 2008-2009 education-instruction academic years. The data are analysed by using SPSS 15.0. The construct validity of the scale is assessed by factorial analysis. Factor analysis was applied to the scale According to findings obtained in the research; eight items were deleted from the designed scale. Analyses showed that the scale consists of five dimensions with 15 positive and 12 negative items which make totally 27 test items. KMO value of the scale was found as .884 and Bartlett’s test was calculated as 10134,161. These conclusions were found to be significant at 0.01 level. Reliability analyses were carried out through total item correlation and Cronbach Alpha and Spearman-Brown split half correlation were calculated in the study and the Cronbach Alpha value was found as .92. It was also found out that the sub-dimensions of the scale were calculated to be changed between .77 and .93 values. The split half test correlation of the scale was found as .83. These conclusions acquired in the study show that both the scale itself totally and the sub-dimensions of the scale are all reliable. A significant correlation at 0.01 level was found between all the factors of the scale. This conclusion state that the factors of the scale are all related with each other. In the final section of the study, the applicability of English Lesson Attitude scale was discussed followed by some recommendations.

Keywords

Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop a valid and reliable scale for examining elementary school students’ attitudes towards English lesson. For this purpose, a Likert type scale with five degrees titled “English Course Attitude Scale” was developed. While developing the scale, related literature was searched, students’ opinions were asked and experts’ ideas were benefited. The final scale composed of 35 items were applied to the 428 students of 20 elementary schools who are educated in Nigde in the spring term of 2008-2009 education-instruction academic years. The data are analysed by using SPSS 15.0. The construct validity of the scale is assessed by factorial analysis. Factor analysis was applied to the scale According to findings obtained in the research; eight items were deleted from the designed scale. Analyses showed that the scale consists of five dimensions with 15 positive and 12 negative items which make totally 27 test items. KMO value of the scale was found as .884 and Bartlett’s test was calculated as 10134,161. These conclusions were found to be significant at 0.01 level. Reliability analyses were carried out through total item correlation and Cronbach Alpha and Spearman-Brown split half correlation were calculated in the study and the Cronbach Alpha value was found as .92. It was also found out that the sub-dimensions of the scale were calculated to be changed between .77 and .93 values. The split half test correlation of the scale was found as .83. These conclusions acquired in the study show that both the scale itself totally and the sub-dimensions of the scale are all reliable. A significant correlation at 0.01 level was found between all the factors of the scale. This conclusion state that the factors of the scale are all related with each other. In the final section of the study, the applicability of English Lesson Attitude scale was discussed followed by some recommendations.

Keywords


  • Açıkgöz, K. Ü. (2005). Etkili öğrenme ve öğretme. (6. baskı). İzmir: Kanyılmaz Matbaası.

  • Alptekin, C. (2005). Dual language instruction: Multiculturalism through a lingua franca. 23 September. TESOL symposium on dual language education: Teaching and learning two languages in the EFL setting, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey.

  • Anderson L. W. (1988). Attitudes and their measurement. Keeves, J. P. (Ed.), Educational research, methodology and measurement: An international handbook. New York: Pergamon Press.

  • Anning, A. (1998). Teachers’ theories about children’s learning. Calderhead, J. (Ed.), Teachers’ professional development. Lewes: Falmer Press.

  • Aslan, Y. (2007). The effect of comprehension monitoring strategies on achievement, attitudes and retention developing reading skills. Yayımlanmamış doktora tezi, Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Konya.

  • Baykul, Y. (2010). Eğitimde ve psikolojide ölçme: Klasik test teorisi ve uygulaması. (2. baskı). Ankara: Pegem Akademi Yayınları.

  • Brewster, J., Ellis, G. & Girard, D. (2003). The primary English teacher’s guide. (Revised ed.). London: Penguin.

  • Büyüköztürk, Ş. (2003). Sosyal bilimler için veri analizi el kitabı. (3. baskı). Ankara: Pegem A Yayıncılık.

  • Büyüköztürk, Ş. (2002). Faktör analizi: Temel kavramlar ve ölçek geliştirmede kullanımı. Kuram ve Uygulamada Eğitim Yönetimi, 32, 470-483.

  • Cajkler, W. & Addelman, R. (2000). The practice of foreign language teaching. London: David Fulton.

  • Can, A. (2005). İngilizce öğretmeni yetiştirme programının kazandırdığı konu alanı öğretmen yeterliklerinin standartlara göre değerlendirilmesi. Yayımlanmamış doktora tezi, Ankara Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Ankara.

  • Cihan, N. (2001). Erken yaşta çok dillilik ve yabancı dil. Yayımlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi, İstanbul Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, İstanbul.

  • Cronbach L. J. (1990) Essentials of psychological testing. (5th ed.). New York: Harper Collins Publishers.

  • Çevik, H. (2006). Çocuklara yabancı dil öğretiminde drama tekniğinin kullanımı. Yayımlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi, Çukurova Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Adana.

  • Çokluk, Ö., Şekercioğlu, G. & Büyüköztürk, Ş. (2010). Sosyal bilimler için çok değişkenli istatistik. Ankara: Pegem Akademi Yayınları.

  • Demirel, Ö. (1998). Yabancı dil öğretimi. Ankara: Milli Eğitim Yayınevi.

  • Diekhoff, G. (1992). Statistics for the social and behavioral sciences: Univariate, bivariate, multivariate. Washington, D.C.: Brown Publishers.

  • Dülger, O. (2007). The effect of metacognitive strategies on attitudes, achievement and retention in developing writing skills. Yayımlanmamış doktora tezi, Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Konya.

  • Er, K. O. (2006). İlköğretim 4. ve 5. sınıf İngilizce öğretim programlarının değerlendirilmesi. Yayımlanmamış doktora tezi, Ankara Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Ankara.

  • Erdoğan, T. (2006). Yabancı dil öğretiminde portfolyoya dayalı değerlendirmenin öğrenci başarısı ve derse yönelik tutumlarına etkisi. Yayımlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi, Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü, İzmir.

  • Fabrigar, L. R., Wegener, D. T., MacCallum, R. C. & Strahan, E. J. (1999). Evaluating the use of explatory factor analysis in psychological research. Psychological Methods, 4(3), 272-299.

  • Ferguson, F. & Takane, Y. (1989). Statistical analysis in psychology and education. New York: McGraw-Hill.

  • Fraenkel, J. R. & Wallen, N. E. (2000). How to design and evaluate research in education. New York: McGraw- Hill.

  • Gruijter, D. N. M. & Van Der Kamp, L. J. T. (2005). Statistical test theory for behavioral sciences. London: Chapman and Hall.

  • Gömleksiz, M. M. (1993). Yükseköğretimde yabancı dil öğretimi ve sorunları (Fırat üniversitesi örneği). Yayımlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi, Fırat Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Elazığ.

  • Gömleksiz, M. M. (2003). İngilizce duyuşsal alana ilişkin bir tutum ölçeğinin geçerlik ve güvenirliği. Fırat Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 13(1), 215–226.

  • Güven, Z. Z. (2007). Öğrenme stillerine dayalı etkinliklerin öğrencilerin dinleme becerisi erişileri, İngilizce dersine yönelik tutumları ve öğrenilenlerin kalıcılığına etkisi. Yayımlanmamış doktora tezi, Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Konya.

  • Halliwell, S. (1992). Teaching English in the primary classroom. Harlow: Longman.

  • Harmer, J. (2001). The practice of English language teaching. (3rd ed.). Harlow: Longman.

  • Jones, V. & Jones, L. S. (1998). Comprehensive classroom management: Creating communities of support and solving problems. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

  • Karasar, N. (2005). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemi. (15. baskı). Ankara: Nobel Yayın Dağıtım.

  • Kline, R. B. (2005). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. New York: Guilford Publications, Inc.

  • Kline, P. (1994). Easy guide to factor analysis. London: Routledge.

  • Larsen-Freeman, D. (2003). Techniques and principles of language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

  • McMillan, J. H. & Schumacher, S. (2006). Research in education: Evidence based inquiry. Boston: Brown and Company.

  • Mersinligil, G. (2002). İlköğretim dört ve beşinci sınıflarda uygulanan İngilizce dersi öğretim programının değerlendirilmesi (Adana ili örneği). Yayımlanmamış doktora tezi, Fırat Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Elazığ.

  • McLeod, J. (2003). Key elements of classroom management: Managing time and space, student behavior and instructional strategies. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

  • Murphy K. R. & Davidshofer (1991). Psychological testing: Principles and applications. New Jersey: Prentice- Hall.

  • Oğuz, E. (1999). İlköğretimde yabancı dil (İngilizce öğretimi sorunları). Yayımlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi, Kocaeli Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Kocaeli.

  • Özen, Y., Gülaçtı, F. & Kandemir, M. (2006). Eğitim bilimleri araştırmalarında geçerlik ve güvenirlik sorunsalı. Erzincan Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 8(1), 69-89.

  • Peers, I. (1996). Statistical analysis for education and psychology researchers: Tools for researchers in education and psychology. London: Falmer Press.

  • Reuterberg, S. & Gustafsson, J. E. (1992). Confirmatory factor analysis and reliability: Testing measurement model assumptions. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 52, 795-811.

  • Sarıçoban, A. (2001). Teaching of language skills. Ankara: Hacettepe-Taş Publications.

  • Selvi, K. (1996). Tutumların ölçülmesi ve program değerlendirme. Anadolu Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 6(2), 39-53

  • Senemoğlu, N. (2004). Gelişim öğrenme ve öğretme: Kuramdan uygulamaya. (10. baskı). Ankara: Gazi Kitabevi.

  • Smith, C. L. & Lossett, R. (1996). Effective classroom management. London: Routledge.

  • Spada, N. & Lightbown, P. (2000). How languages are learned. (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

  • Şencan, H. (2005). Sosyal ve davranışsal ölçümlerde güvenilirlik ve geçerlilik. Ankara: Seçkin Yayıncılık.

  • Tabachnick B. G. & Fidell, L. S. (2001). Using multivariate statistics. (4th ed.). MA: Allyn and Bacon.

  • Tavşancıl, E. (2005). Tutumların ölçülmesi ve SPPS ile veri analizi. (2. baskı). Ankara: Nobel Yayın Dağıtım.

  • Tezbaşaran, A. (1997). Likert tipi ölçek geliştirme kılavuzu. Ankara: Türk Psikologlar Derneği Yayınları.

  • Thompson, B. (2004). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis: Understanding concepts and applications. Washington: American Psychological Association.

  • Van de Ven, A. & Ferry, D. (1979). Measuring and assessing organization. New York: John Wiley and Sons.

  • Yardımoğlu, K. (2007). İngilizce okuma öğretiminde örgütleme stratejilerinin erişiye ve tutuma etkisi. Yayımlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi, Hacettepe Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Ankara.

  • Zeydan, P. (2008). The relationship between the ninth grade students’ expectations from English speaking course and the course teachers’ readiness in terms of constructivism. Yayımlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi, Gazi Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Ankara.

                                                                                                                                                                                                        
  • Article Statistics