| Researchers are aware of the numerous benefits of self-assessments in the realm of secondary language learning. Additionally, self- assessment measures have provided substantial insight into the performance of students in foreign language learning. The Foreign Languages and Literatures Faculty at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga were interested in developing a self-assessment measure that would gauge the knowledge and progress of their students' learning. Using objective goals from the Foreign Languages and Literatures Departments outcomes statement, a pool of items was created by the faculty and then reduced to a 35-item survey, the "I Can" survey. In order to determine if this self-assessment questionnaire was a good measure of students' abilities, a validity study was conducted. Scale reliability and internal consistency was established by analyzing inter-item correlations and similarity of items within the scale. An exploratory factor analysis established the dimensions per factor, and construct validity was determined by way of confirmatory factor analysis. Overall, the "I Can" survey is a stable assessment tool that has adequate reliability and validity; furthermore it encompasses the requirements set forth by the outcomes statement. |
