Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis of Historical Thinking Skills (HTS) Component: Determining Dimensionality, Validity, and Reliability of HTS Items Among Islamic Education Teachers

Abstract

Historical Thinking Skills (HTS) constitute a cognitive process encompassing five sub-dimensions, namely Chronology, Rationalization, Interpretation, Imagination, and Evidence Exploration. These dimensions within HTS are not only applied in History Subject but also universally applicable across subjects to aid educators in instilling valuable learning values, including within the realm of Islamic Education (IE). Hence, this research aims to determine the effectively integrate HTS during IHC instruction and identify the number of dimensions represented by the 18 items constituting the HTS component using Exploratory Factor Analysis(EFA) and subsequently assess the unidimensionality, validity, and reliability of the HTS sub-components formed by these items by using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The research sample comprises to two types of data set, 100 and 300 of different Islamic Education Teachers from Upper Secondary Schools in the state of Kelantan, encompassing 10 districts. There are 300 samples used for field work while 100 samples for pilot study. Data analysis for this study is conducted using IBM SPSS AMOS Graphics Version 25 software. The results of the CFA show that items adhere to the criterion of unidimensionality. Validity and Reliability criteria are met for HTS. In conclusion, this study contributes theoretical insight by illuminating the nature of HTS, particularly for IETs, which are assessed through a sole dimension rather than being evaluated individually according to the sub-dimensions of Chronology, Rationalization, Interpretation, Imagination, and Evidence Exploration.