Validation of Scores From the Self-Evaluation Checklist for EFL Teachers in Japan

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to validate scores produced by a reflection tool called the Self-Evaluation Checklist for EFL Teachers (SECEFLT) in the Japanese context. A survey was conducted with 760 EFL teachers in 984 junior high and lower secondary schools throughout Japan. The collected data were divided into 2 datasets for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The EFA results demonstrate that the original model with 32 items should be modified to a new 4-factor model with 18 items, including Content Knowledge and Skills, Pedagogical Knowledge and Skills, Professional Development Knowledge and Skills, and English Language Use by Teachers and Students. The CFA results show acceptable model fit between the new model and the second dataset. Therefore, both the EFA and CFA results provide positive evidence that the revised SECEFLT is a useful reflection tool for Japanese teachers of English in junior high schools and lower secondary schools in Japan.