Development and validation of the clarity indicators scale

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to create a reliable and valid low- to medium-inference, multidimensional measure of instructor clarity from seminal work across several academic fields. Five hundred and sixty six students responded to an initial pool of 87 items and were split into two samples to investigate the factor structure of the new measurement scale. A five-factor, 20-item measure was selected and was found to represent the data well. Once established, the total sample was combined to investigate the validity of the new measure. The new measurement scale (clarity indicators scale, CIS) demonstrated convergent validity and was highly related to the teacher clarity short inventory (r = .83). In addition, the CIS demonstrated appropriate construct validity through its various associations with students’ academic experiences. The five factors were explored in regards to their ability to predict the outcomes mentioned above. Implications for instructional communication researchers are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Instructor clarity
• scale development

Notes

1. Though previous investigations of clarity have examined the construct from the perspective of both oral and written clarity (e.g., Sidelinger & McCroskey, 1997; Titsworth et al., 2004), behaviors in these dimensions tend to be similar across modes of delivery and were therefore examined together.