Development of a survey instrument to measure TEFL academics’ perceptions about, individual and workplace characteristics for conducting research

Abstract

A 30-item survey was devised to determine Chinese TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) academics’ potential for conducting research. A five-part Likert scale was used to gather data from 182 academics on four factors: (1) perceptions on teaching–research nexus, (2) personal perspectives for conducting research, (3) predispositions for conducting research and (4) workplace contexts for conducting research. Data were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for structural equation modelling using various fit indices. The independence model was rejected. Accordingly, the CFA model proposed that the four factors covaried and were associated with each indicated item. The hypothesized CFA model demonstrated an acceptable model fit. After statistical analysis, a revised CFA model presented more reliable fit measures, which required a reduction in survey item numbers. This instrument will require further testing but may be used to draw comparisons between past and present data and determine areas for enhancing research productivity.

Keywords:

• educational measurement
• general statistics
• survey research

Acknowledgement

This paper received support from the Write-Up Scholarship from Queensland University of Technology (QUT). It is part of a larger project sponsored by QUT and China Scholarship Council Joint Scholarship.