Assessing Research-Led Teaching: Development and Validation of a Faculty Survey

• In Event: Building Reliable Tools: Psychometric Validation in Teaching and Learning Contexts

Abstract

This study developed and validated a survey instrument measuring teachers’ understanding of, behaviors in, and perceived campus environment for research-led teaching (RLT). Based on the Learner-Centered Design framework, the RLT instrument was constructed through rigorous steps, including literature review, expert consultation, back-translation, pilot testing, and distribution. The validation was based on valid responses to the online survey from 314 college faculty and 104 K-12 teachers in China. Results of both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses using two random subsamples revealed a three-factor structure: Understanding, Behavior, and Environment. The reliability of the instrument was found to be satisfactory. This validated instrument can be used to assess teachers’ RLT experiences and inform institutional efforts to promote research-led teaching practices.

Authors

• Rong Wang, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

• Xin Xu, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University