Construction and Validation of Self-Assessment Inventory for English for Academic Purposes: A Case of Iranian Tertiary Students

Document Type : Research Article

Author

Allameh Tabataba’i University

Abstract

Self-assessment helps learners to acquire self-confidence and gives them insightful
feedbacks. There is no valid self-assessment inventory for learners of English for
academic purposes (EAP). This study aimed at developing an academically
appropriate instrument to measure tertiary students’ English in academic situations.
The study used both qualitative and quantitative methods in developing the selfassessment
inventory (SAI). Sixty students were interviewed for the qualitative part
of the study. For the quantitative phase, 600 students were selected through
multistage random sampling. Qualitative data were analyzed by a constant
comparative method. In addition, a questionnaire survey was used to assess the
validity and reliability of SAI. A 41-item SAI was developed, the content validity,
construct validity, and reliability of which were ensured by expert review, factor
analysis, and internal consistency. This scale constitutes a validated self-assessment
inventory of EAP.

Keywords