Measuring Carefully: Validating the International Posture-Child Instrument

Abstract

With the onset of English education in elementary schools in Japan mandated at an earlier age than in the past, the need to understand the extent to which children obtain international posture (Yashima, 2002) has become increasingly crucial. Toward that end, in the current study a validation of the International Posture-Child instrument (Monoi-Yamaga, 2010; Yamaga, 2007) precedes an investigation of the configuration and level of International Posture that 5th-and 6th-grade students at 5 Japanese public elementary school students possessed. Results indicated that configurations of children differed from that of adults, with 5th graders exhibiting a 2-factor configuration and 6th graders either an identical 2-factor configuration or a more complex 3-factor structure. Using the 2-factor configuration, levels of International Posture of the 5th and 6th graders were found to be statistically indiscernible. Implications and suggestions for further research are discussed.