Creating Scales to Measure Reading Comprehension, and Attitude and Behaviour for Prathom (Grade) 7 Students Taught ESL Through Genre-Based Method in Thailand

Document Type

Book Chapter

Publisher

Nova Science Publishers

Faculty

Faculty of Community Services, Education and Social Sciences

School

School of Education

RAS ID

3149

Comments

Waugh, R. F., Bowering, M. H., & Torok, S. (2005). Creating scales to measure reading comprehension, and attitude and behaviour for Prathom (grade) 7 students taught ESL through Genre-Based method in Thailand. In R. Waugh (Ed.), Frontiers in Educational Psychology (pp. 133-173). New York, NY: Nova Science Publishers. Available here

Abstract

A questionnaire involving attitudes and behaviour towards genre-based learning of English as a second language (based on text, inter-personal relations, and behavioural controls) was given to 300 prathom 7 (grade 7) students in Thailand. A Rasch analysis was performed to create a linear scale using 18 of the original 48 items (each answered in two perspectives, an ideal and an actual). These data had good reliability and validity, and supported a modified structure of attitudes and behaviour, from which valid and reliable inferences could be made. A Rasch analysis was performed on data from a separate reading comprehension test (based on three kinds of genre texts) with the same 300 prathom 7 students using 18 of an original 60 items. These data fitted the measurement model well, but had a low Index of Separation for these students. Both scales were used in an experiment described in the next chapter on genre-based teaching versus traditional teaching learning of English as a second language.

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