| The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Attitudes and Motivation Test Battery (AMTB) for Hispanic-American adolescents studying English as a second language. An English or Spanish version of the instrument was administered to 219 subjects from intact classes in five public high schools in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Mean scores on the following seventeen subscales were obtained for the total sample: Attitudes Toward English-Speaking Americans; Interest in Foreign Languages; Integrative Orientation; Attitude Toward the British; Attitude Toward Learning English; Motivational Intensity; Desire to Learn English; English Class Anxiety; Instrumental Orientation; English Teacher - Evaluative; English Teacher - Competence; English Teacher - Inspiration; English Teacher - Rapport; English Course - Evaluative; English Course - Difficulty; English Course - Utility; English Course - Interest.;After checking for the amount of missing data, means and standard deviations were obtained for each variable. Cronbach alpha coefficients of reliability were computed for the total AMTB, each section, and all subscales. Pearson product-moment correlations were obtained from the mean subscale scores, factor scores, and all criterion measures. Results provided evidence on the criterion-related validity of the instrument.;Factors analysis reduced the seventeen subscales to four factors which were used to predict English achievement in univariate correlational analyses. The construct validity of the AMTB was thus examined. The seventeen subscales and the four factors were predictor variables in a series of multiple regression analyses to predict criterion measures of English achievement.;Background data concerning demographic, home/language, and school characteristics were derived from a 23 item Home Language Questionnaire (HLQ) available in English or Spanish. Criterion measures of English achievement included self-ratings in English litening, speaking, reading, and writing skills from seven-scale-step items plus self-report grade from a multiple choice item with seven choices. Teachers provided criterion scores when they rated subects in these same four skills and supplied the student's report card grade in English using the same response format. |
