Validating a Questionnaire on Confidence in Speaking English as a Foreign Language

Abstract

Despite repeated calls for reliability and validation of data elicitation instruments, research continues to be published based on questionnaires which do not report reliability or validation. The purpose of this paper is to examine the process by which a questionnaire, in this case one designed to measure confidence in speaking English as a foreign language (CSEFL), can be created, reVised, and validated. Special attention is given to content validity, criterion validity, and construct validity. lne concept and definition of validity is discussed and specific steps and procedures for the validation process are given. A pilot study is briefly summarized followed by the results of the present study. It is concluded that while the majority of the questionnaires used in ESL classroom research in Japan are not valid, the present study provides the necessary steps and procedures by which teacher-researchers can construct valid and reliable research questionnaires. T- ~ 1&~Q)iiA-Q)mM'Ii l.: ~~'liQ)~.~'Ii,)f . t);g LIUj.I:ltt7.> I: b iI'iI'v i? -r, me 'Ii l.: ~~'Ii':mlT Q Et&,)ff,t ~ tt C\(\~\(\;'-?'- H!)*1H1H: b l.: -?\(\t.:M1e,)ft:l:i1lti~ tt ':>-?~C\(\7.>0 ':Q)Iii)(Q)§fI9li, ~ooa!c L(~ma-a5-rEHif (CSEFL)a-iig~-r0 7;'­ ?'- - I- ,)tf'Fnlt ~ tt, ~J! ~ tt, ~~'Ii a- b? J: -} ,: ~ oiA~ a-~ttT 00 ~I:, p;j3f19~ ~'Ii, ~t¥!r*lim~~11, mnlt.~~~'Ii':#.t ~,)f~C i? tto 0 ~~11Q).~ c ~.,)f!:i t; i?tt, ~~11a-ilf£T7.>t. :t6Q)A~(j(J~~~t) ,)ftl*~ttoo mt61:/-(1C·;lI-. A~ T1',){tfl;!tu:Et &~tL, -tQ)f~, *iiJf1eQ)*6*,)f7F~tt7.>o UiKtc LCli, 8*':!Hto ~mQ)t~~iiJf1e':~ \(\C~btt -C\(\o ;'-?'-- I- Q)*~li~~~li~\(\, )f, .:.: ~7F~tt o~~ t) I:~ -} .: c ~, JiIjf. iiJf1ea-fT~ -} ftGilili, ~~~ffUfi11Q)~o ;'-?'-- I- a-f'F nlt T 7.> .: l.: ,)f~ ~ 0 l.: \( -} .: l.: 1: ~ 7.> 0