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Refinement of an instrument measuring science teachers’ knowledge of language through mixed method
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Refinement of an instrument measuring science teachers’ knowledge of language through mixed method

Chenchen Ding, Catherine Lammert, Gavin W. Fulmer, Brian Hand and Jee K. Suh
Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Science Education Research, Vol.5(1), 12
08/21/2023
DOI: 10.1186/s43031-023-00080-7
Appears in  Diamond Open Access
url
https://doi.org/10.1186/s43031-023-00080-7View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Teachers must know how to use language to support students in knowledge generation environments that align to the Next Generation Science Standards. To measure this knowledge, this study refines a survey on teachers’ knowledge of language as an epistemic tool. Rasch modelling was used to examine 15 items’ fit statistics and the functioning of a previously-designed questionnaire’s response categories. Cronbach’s alpha reliability was also examined. Additionally, interviews were used to investigate teachers’ interpretations of each item to identify ambiguous items. The results indicated that three ambiguous items were deleted based on qualitative data and three more items were deleted because of negative correlation and mismatched fit statistics. Finally, we present a revised language questionnaire with nine items and acceptable correlation and good fit statistics, with utility for science education researchers and teacher educators. This research contributes a revised questionnaire to measure teachers’ knowledge of language that could inform professional development efforts. This research also describes instrument refinement processes that could be applied elsewhere.
 Education General

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