Measuring self-efficacy, engagement, and satisfaction in EMI courses

Abstract

This presentation will outline the development and psychometric testing of an instrument to measure self-efficacy (SE), task engagement, and course satisfaction of learners in English Medium Instruction (EMI) classes in Japan. Previous EMI research has focused heavily on linguistic issues at the expense of content (Macaro, 2022), and this instrument was designed to account for student attitudes pertaining to both language and content within their EMI courses. Eight items for each construct were created, and the resulting 24-item instrument was administered to 327 first-, and second-year students in EMI classes at a large private university in Japan. Rasch analysis was employed to test the unidimensionality and reliability of each of the three scales in the instrument. Finally, logit scores derived from Rasch were used in a correlation study with TOEIC Listening and Reading scores. Results from the Rasch analysis showed that each scale was unidimensional, with high reliability for both persons and items. There were small, but statistically significant (positive) correlations between all three constructs and reading proficiency as measured by the TOEIC L&R test, suggesting that there is a relationship between proficiency and learner SE, engagement, and expectations. The presenters will discuss the results in relation to EMI classes in contexts such as Asia, where many learners may lack adequate English proficiency on entering EMI courses, which may negatively impact their SE, task engagement, and overall course satisfaction. The presentation will conclude with practical examples of ways in which to develop learner SE and engagement based on the presenters’ personal classroom experiences.

Keywords

English medium instruction; self-efficacy; engagement; Rasch measurement